Ink
by TayNeyNey
Summary: Ginny had hoped to be married to Harry Potter by the time she turned twenty, but Harry's job and a certain blonde Slytherin get in the way. Ginny soon finds out that some marks are permanent - in more than one way.
1. Chapter 1

The smell of strong coffee wafted over Ginny Weasley's nose, and groaning, she turned to bury her face into the pillow cushioning her head. The feel of soft silk brushing against her cheek jump-started her thoughts and another groan left her mouth. Soft sheets and the scent of coffee only meant one thing.

Just as the thought entered her mind, a voice drawled out from over her shoulder completely confirming her belief, "Wake up Weasley. I'm sure you have somewhere to run off to."

Ginny refused to budge at the sound of the voice, instead allowing her head to remain buried into the pillow. Perhaps if she just pressed hard enough time would rewind itself. Or she would suffocate. Suffocation sounded pretty good this morning.

Even with her face pressed against the pillow she didn't miss the sound of retreating footsteps or the deep grumblings of a man's voice. She wouldn't look up and see his face. She wouldn't. She shouldn't be here, not only because it was a bad decision – and oh but it was a bad decision – but because he had made it perfectly clear the last time that she would not be welcome back. But here she was, face-down in his bed again.

The footsteps faded, and Ginny sighed. She slowly sat up after she heard the bathroom door squeak, and with a quick glance to ensure that he was out of the room – the door was almost completely closed, only a fragment of light seeping out around the edges – moved forward to grab a cup of coffee off of the tray placed on the nightstand. The silken sheet slipped over her as she reached and Ginny blushed despite herself at the feel against her bare skin.

But of course she was naked. She never woke up clothed when she woke up here.

Taking a long gulp of the burning coffee Ginny figured she deserved the burnt mouth it earned her. She flopped back against the bedding after setting the cup down again and allowed her hand to trace over the sheets beside her.

She really did love this bedding. Maybe that was the reason why she kept finding herself here. Ginny smirked at her inner musings but the smirk quickly fled at the sound of the shower running in the next room. He always took a shower after giving her coffee. And she almost always left while he was still in there.

For a moment Ginny lay perfectly still and contemplated staying. The bed was awfully inviting, and she really had nothing better to do today. It was not a work day and the absolute last thing Ginny wanted to do was return to her flat. More than likely Harry would be there.

At the thought of Harry, Ginny's mouth twisted.

Stupid bleeding Harry Potter. She could throttle him right now. In fact, that idea was almost as promising as suffocation had sounded and almost as tempting as staying in this bed. And it was not like Harry didn't deserve it. Any man who went back and forth between choosing his job or a woman deserved a good throttling in Ginny's opinion. Of course in this instance she was biased considering she was the woman.

Another sigh escaped her and she rolled petulantly back over so her face was once again pressed against the darkness of the pillow.

She had thought that she and Harry would be married by now. Ron and Hermione had certainly wasted no time. After their engagement, Ginny kept waiting expectantly for Harry to follow suit, and when he hadn't she had attributed it to her being in school, and once she had graduated and gotten the job in the ministry and he still had not proposed Ginny put it down to the stress of becoming an Auror. But after Auror training was completed and they had gone to Ron and Hermione's wedding and then George and his wife's besides, Ginny was forced to face the fact that marriage was not on Harry Potter's mind.

After that the fighting had started.

She wanted to be married. She wanted to take that next step in their relationship, but Harry always found a reason not to. He said it was his job. He wanted to focus on rounding up the Death Eaters, and then he wanted to see their trials through. And then he transferred to international affairs, where he was gone most weeks. That had been the breaking point, and Ginny had turned into one of those ultimatum girlfriends. She hadn't wanted to, truly she hadn't. But she was twenty now, and all of her friends were beginning to settle down. And she wanted to be married to Harry, or she had. But once she had laid down her ultimatum Harry had surprised them all by saying he needed time to decide.

That's right, the boy known for rash decisions needed time to think.

Ginny snorted now at the thought but still felt that echo pinprick of pain. That was the first time she left, and the first time she found herself here, but it had not been the last. It had been a year since she had given her ultimatum, and over that period of time she had left Harry seven times, found herself here, and gone back six.

Did she really want to go back seven times?

The thought hurt her heart. But no more than the memory of Harry's words last night hurt her heart.

Last night, over dinner, Ginny had once again broached the subject, but this time had been different. This time Harry bleeding Potter had an answer. And it was not the one Ginny wanted.

He had claimed that if she waited two more years then he would transfer back to homeland security. The travelling would end and they could get married. It was only two more years. And when Ginny had argued that she had already waited a year, Harry had replied that that was exactly his point. She was clearly willing to wait. Ginny disagreed, and when she redelivered her ultimatum, Harry had only begun to argue the importance of his job rather than try to talk her out of it. That had been the breaking point.

Even now, the next morning, Ginny felt the flash of anger accompanied by an ache deep in her gut. She knew that something had changed. If Harry was not even fighting anymore, what was the point in her ultimatum? He was right after all; if she was going to be there anyway why did he have to choose? But then where did that leave Ginny?

She stopped her thoughts abruptly, as she had last night after she had left with little more than her wand and her purse. This morning though she did not have the company of alcohol to assist her as it had last night.

With another groan that came out more of a sigh, Ginny pushed herself out of the bed and began searching for her clothing. She didn't need to make a decision right now. She could go to Ron's or George's or even Bill's. But she could not stay here. She had once, and that had been a mistake.

Now conscious of the shower that was still miraculously on, Ginny hastened her search. She needed to get out before he got out of the shower. Bending over to search under the bed, Ginny was blinded by a sharp, stinging pain just inside of her left hip. She straightened with a gasp and her hands and eyes automatically sought out the source.

And then she froze.

Written there on the pale white skin between her hip bone and nether-region was the prettiest cursive script Ginny had ever seen. But despite the eloquence of the writing itself, Ginny's heart stopped, because clearly written there on her skin was a name.

Draco.


	2. Chapter 2

Ginny's hands fell away as if they had been burned, and she could only stare at her skin in frozen horror.

Surely this was a dream. She could not – would not – have done something so stupid, so impulsive, so childish. But with a sickening stomach she thought that she absolutely might have.

And suddenly she was in motion. Gasping, she wiped her fingers frantically against her skin, waiting for the writing to smudge, for ink to come away so she could laugh and her heart could stop pounding. But when she lifted her fingers away, they were as clean as when she had touched the mark.

She choked on her next breath.

Half-running and half-stumbling Ginny bolted to the bathroom door and flung it open. She ran to the running shower and threw open that door as well, barely even glancing at the startled, naked Draco Malfoy that stood inside. She jumped into the spray in front of him, glad that his ego required a shower the size of her flat's bathroom, and reached blindly for the nearest washcloth.

She scrubbed harshly at the mark, ignoring Draco's voice as he finally spoke. "Decided to join me Weasel? I must say this is a new one."

Ginny scrubbed once more at the mark and then her heart dropped as she glanced at the washcloth in her hand only to see that it was as white and pristine as when she first grabbed it. The mark, now surrounded by red skin, was perfectly intact. And perfectly permanent.

Ginny threw the washcloth down in frustration and allowed her head to bang harshly against the tile wall in front of her. This, this tattoo, was the absolute dumbest, worst decision she had ever made. For one thing, she had never wanted a tattoo, had never even thought about getting one. And then to get his name? She slammed her head against the wall again. She must have been wasted. Completely shit-faced wasted to have decided that this was a good idea.

"Ginny, what the hell?" Draco's voice demanded and his hand descended on Ginny's bare shoulder reminding her of many things at once. She was naked. She was in Malfoy's shower. Draco was also naked. And she had slept with him last night. With widening eyes Ginny's stumbling brain landed on this last fact. For if she had slept with Draco last night then he had seen her naked, which meant he had also seen the tattoo.

She whirled around so fast that she nearly slid across the slick floor and was only stabilized by Draco wrapping his hands around her upper arms. His face was a mix of shock and amusement as he took in her form with the spray pounding down all around them.

Sudden anger filled Ginny and she slapped his hands away. "Malfoy, what the hell is this?" she demanded.

His eyes quickly grew distant and he took a step back, as he always did when they talked the next morning. It was why she usually left. It was why staying here with him that one time had been such a terrible mistake. Because Draco Malfoy could make love to her the night before with such passion and heat Ginny would keep coming back, but be his cold, arrogant self the next morning.

"Well, this," he gestured between them, "is you interrupting my shower, which is a first. But if you are asking about what this between us is," and now he made a wider all-encompassing gesture that Ginny found herself flinching at, "I don't have a fucking clue." His voice was dark and deep and hurt by the end, and Ginny cast her eyes down in shame.

But the glance down only brought the tattoo back into sight and her anger flared up once more.

"Not this you moron," she repeated his gesture between them. "This!" Ginny pointed stiffly at the tattoo and watched as Draco's eyes drifted downward. She did not miss the heated, searing look that entered his eyes as they skimmed her nude body, and she could not repress the shudder that went through her. But that lustful look quickly departed when he caught sight of the mark Ginny was indicating.

She was angered but not at all surprised when his mouth stretched into a grin. Without warning, his graceful hand reached out and pressed against the tender skin, eliciting a tantalizing response within Ginny.

A rush of pleasure and pain shot to her heart as he applied pressure. Pleasure at the feel of his skin on her's, pleasure like she always felt whenever he touched her, and then pain at the soreness of the tattoo.

The heady feeling caused a flash of memory to dart through Ginny's mind, and she saw herself giggling at the mark in a mirror at some muggle tattoo studio. She clearly remembered thinking that it was the perfect spot for his name because it was where he always touched her when they were together.

With a gasp, Ginny batted his hand away and fought her blush. Damn her and her drunken ideas. That was a spot that Draco loved to touch, and kiss, and lick among other things. It was a spot that made her giggle and curl her toes at the same time, a spot only he seemed to be able to find. And now it bore his name.

Draco shook his head, as if dispelling memories of his own (which Ginny realized with another blush, he probably was and of last night at that), and then the smile came back full-force. "I didn't think it was permanent."

"You what?" Ginny yelled. "What do you mean you didn't think it was permanent? It's a bloody tattoo Malfoy!"

Draco rolled his eyes at her and then reached around her to turn off the shower. Ginny stiffened at his close proximity, but he only raised an eyebrow and then turned cheek and exited the shower. Ginny stomped after him angrily.

Draco nonchalantly wrapped a towel around his waist and then offered her one. Ginny snatched the towel out of his hand.

"What the hell did you mean?" she demanded again, irritation reaching new heights at his serenity.

Draco turned from her again and made his way into the bedroom, Ginny trailing him to catch the words he tossed over his shoulder. "I mean that you apparated to my doorstep last night and then demanded to be let in."

"And you let me in?" Ginny interrupted him, aghast. "What happened to never letting this happen again? What happened to ignoring me?"

Anger flashed quick as lightening through Draco's eyes and then was gone. Ginny felt her heart sink at the show of emotion as she suddenly recalled the exact terms of that fight. He hadn't wanted to say that, any more than Ginny had wanted to give her ultimatum to Harry, but he had. He had given her his own ultimatum after she had stayed here that once for three weeks and they had acted like a couple. It had been an awful decision, and they had fought more than she thought possible and then made up in mind-blowing ways. Ginny tried to push away the thoughts of that stay, the positive ones and the negative ones, and tried to focus on the current situation.

"You said that you wouldn't let it happen again unless I left Harry," Ginny forced out, hating herself for it.

Draco's face hardened into a cold mask as he gazed blankly at her. "And I damn well meant it," he hissed, and Ginny flinched because she knew he had meant it.

He had meant it when he said he wanted to try to really be with her, not be the man she went running to when she and Harry fought, not be that schoolboy crush from her last year at Hogwarts when he had also been there and before Harry had officially asked her out again. He didn't want to be what almost-was or what could have been. He wanted to be something.

And then he had meant it when he found her leaving and said that if she left there would be no more of this. He would never be with her again. And she had known that he meant it because he was Draco and he always meant exactly what he said. And still she had left.

"I did refuse to let you in though I had also been drinking," Draco continued, his voice slightly calmer and Ginny pulled herself out of those dark and painful thoughts. "I told you to go back to Scarhead and then you blabbered something about proving to me that you weren't going to go back to him this time, and then you left."

Ginny folded her arms across her chest, hugging the towel hard to her body and trying to place this event into her timeline. She must have come here after leaving the Three Broomsticks then, not that she remembered any of that. She had been far too drunk. She must have been if she told Draco that she was leaving Harry for good.

She snapped back to attention as Draco walked into his closet. Reluctantly, she followed him and stood outside of the door, directing her eyes upward to avoid the sight of him changing.

"So I came here completely plastered, and demanded to be let in, and when you wouldn't let me in, I just what apparated away again?" she asked, her voice only a bit less accusing than before.

"Yes," Draco replied as he slipped on dress pants and then began hunting for a shirt.

"And you let me apparate in that condition?" she yelled though she didn't mean to. It was only that apparating while drunk was exceedingly dangerous, and though she knew she had hurt Draco badly, he was not the type of person to allow her to throw herself into danger. He had proven over and over again that he had grown up and that he cared, if not for most people, than at least for her.

Draco turned to her again, his face flushed with his own anger. "Didn't get much of a chance to stop you, did I? Bloody apparated away out of reach so I couldn't even side-along."

He turned back to his row of shirts and rifled through them before pulling out a simple white button up. Ginny tried to calm the storm of emotions inside of her. She was angry still and she wanted answers, but the more time she spent here the more she realized that the majority of this was her fault. And she couldn't imagine the hurt Malfoy was going through after all that he had confessed and she had shot him down only to return again the next time she and Harry fought.

Ginny closed her eyes and fought the urge to cry. When had her life become such a mess? She had never imagined seventh year when she asked Draco Malfoy for potions help that years later she would find herself sleeping with him. The first time had been a drunken mistake, she could always argue that. But the time after that she had been sober. And she couldn't lie and say that she didn't enjoy it. The truth was that Draco gave her something she couldn't even identify, and whenever she let herself think about it – which only happened when she was fighting with Harry – she missed him and whatever it was that he gave her desperately.

Draco stopped right in front of her, his shirt still undone, and his hand cupped her face. Ginny's eyes opened and she fearfully met his grey gaze. But it held none of the anger she expected. Instead his eyes were calm.

"You came back about an hour later and this time I did let you in so that you couldn't apparate away again," he said softly. "But as soon as I closed the front door you were pulling off your clothes, and then you showed me that," his eyes slid to the mark covered by the towel now and Ginny squirmed. His eyes flashed back up to hers and she could see that he was striving to hide the lust in them. "And then you said that you were never going to go back to Potter and that you loved me and then you kissed me. I'm sure you can imagine what followed."

Ginny could, damn it she could. Draco pulled his hand away and then walked around her. And this time she did not follow as he paused at the door to the hallway.

"This morning when I woke up I knew that you had lied, and I assumed that the tattoo was a fake as well."

He slammed the door after himself and Ginny acknowledged that he had known the she did not love him, had known that was a lie, and so he was perfectly correct to think that the tattoo was as well.

Letting a tear slide down her face, Ginny went about searching for her clothes again.

(Author Note: Hey! I probably should have put this on the first chapter but in the excitement of uploading my first chapter of my first fic ever I forgot. This was originally supposed to be a one-shot but clearly that didn't happen. As of right now I have five chapters done and am still writing. I will upload all five within the next few days, probably about one chapter a day. After that it will be whenever I have a chapter done. But I promise that I will not abandon this story or go weeks without anything. Minus next week because I will not be home. But anyways thanks for reading and I hope you continue to enjoy the story!)


	3. Chapter 3

(Author's Note: This chapter contains some language and more dialogue. But you also get more details about Ginny and Draco's pasts and how exactly they ended up in this mess. Enjoy!)

The search for her clothes took Ginny longer than expected and she blushed as she had to make her way throughout the manor. Her underclothes had been in the bedroom, but her shirt shoes and pants made a trail from the bedroom door to the front entrance hall. She could not begin to describe her gratitude that Draco now lived alone at Malfoy Manor. This walk of shame would have been so much more painful with the cruel eyes of Lucius or Narcissa Malfoy looking on. Luckily, Lucius was in Azkaban and Narcissa had quickly vacated the estate in favor of a home in London.

At the thought of Lucius, Ginny's blood boiled. She had never forgiven the man for placing the diary in her possession when she was a child, and though Draco had proved to be different, Lucius never recanted his ways. His life term in Azkaban was the punishment for his continued loyalty this time around. As for Narcissa, she had been different than Ginny expected. At her own trial she was found guilty of negligence in not stopping what she saw but not of anything else. With others' testimony she had been acquitted of her crimes and had proven nicer than expected and had been ready to help rebuild what her husband had destroyed.

Ginny liked to think that Narcissa was the parent who most greatly influenced Draco. After all, he had gotten off easily in his own trial once it came to light that he was mostly innocent in the Death Eaters' dealings. And he had more than made up for any wrongdoings through donations and apologies. Even Harry and Ron had grudgingly moved on from their hatred once the entire story had been told.

And Draco had changed. This Ginny could personally attest to. Gone was the ferret-faced school boy with the quick temper and harsh, degrading tongue. Though blood purity still meant something to him, he kept his opinions to himself and easily acknowledged the flaws of his past. And though he was still quick-witted and cruel when upset, he was no longer immature. He had come back to Hogwarts to complete his seventh year and proven himself to be a changed boy and Ginny had easily fallen into a friendship of sorts with him.

She had not meant to really. But one night while in the library and sorely missing the trio (who had all been allowed to graduate without their seventh years) she had desperately needed potions help. Looking up to see Draco Malfoy, her tired mind had made an impulsive decision based solely on the fact that he was good at potions. He had been startled by her request but had nonetheless helped her (with only one comment about her family), and that first time had started the process. They did not become close friends, but rather friendly acquaintances that would nod at each other in the halls and assist each other with homework if both happened to be in the library. Ginny grew comfortable with sitting at a library table with Draco in the silence, and slowly she had begun to study him and appreciate the physical aspects she saw.

Any girl at Hogwarts that year would claim the same. Draco Malfoy had long ago turned handsome with his aristocratic features and striking hair and eyes. The fact that he no longer looked near death or about to kill added greatly to his appeal. His weight increased and consequently his build. Yes, Ginny could admit that Draco Malfoy was fit.

But those had all been errant thoughts that year, a purely innocent crush that she never intended anything to come of. For though she had not technically been with Harry that year, she had belonged to him in her heart and they had stayed in contact.

It was only by chance that any sort of relationship occurred between Draco and Ginny. After that first fight with Harry, Ginny had found herself in a popular bar getting plastered because - in her mind at least - she had just left Harry permanently. To her surprise Draco Malfoy had slid into the seat beside her and then had listened as her drunken self spilled out the entire story. He had bought her a drink and the night had progressed the way one would expect.

That first morning after had been terribly awkward, but somehow they struggled through it. Because Ginny had been adamant in her decision to leave Harry at the time, she had not immediately sulked back to her flat but stayed with Draco that day only leaving that night to find somewhere to stay. They had not slept together again but their casual acquaintance had morphed into a friendship while she was separated from Harry.

She stayed separated from Harry for a month and during that time had spent time with Draco. She had never asked what he considered their time as, if he had wondered about dating her. The thought had never crossed her heart-broken mind. So when she went back to Harry and the communications stopped she assumed that it was the natural thing to happen; no woman kept male friends while in a committed relationship.

The second time with Draco she had been sober and had immediately come to the Manor after the fight. She had only meant to seek the company of someone who would not urge her back into Harry's arms and Draco had been the first name to cross her mind. She truly hadn't considered the idea that it might lead to more. But she had not counted on the memories of the first time creeping back in and overwhelming her. She had not counted on wanting to have sex with Draco Malfoy again, or he wanting to have sex with her.

After that time the idea of dating Draco had crossed even her mind, but the next day when Pansy Parkinson came by the idea died quickly. Pansy had not been pleased to find Ginny there and a fight had ensued. Ginny had left Draco's and though she again meant to leave Harry, she had only stayed away for a week.

And the process continued. Every time she left Harry she would end up on Draco's doorstep whether sober or drunk, and every time Draco would listen and then they would inevitably sleep together. But every time Ginny would leave the next day. Sometimes when she stayed away from Harry for more than a day or two she and Draco would stay in contact. Occasionally that contact would carry over even after she went back to Harry. It was because of this that Ginny could say she and Draco were more than just an occasional fling. They were friends, they were close. They were… something.

And so it should not have been such a surprise the last time when Draco asked her to stay with him rather than find a hotel or a friend's house. And so it should not have been a surprise when he took her out to eat or made love to her the next night. And so it should not have been a surprise when they fell naturally into the workings of a couple living in the same house, with fights and make-ups dates and all. And so it should not have been a surprise that Draco wanted something more.

But it had been a surprise nonetheless.

Ginny heaved a lengthy sigh as she pulled on her pants in the entryway. She had really screwed up the last time when she had left. She had not really made a decision at the time. She had fled from shock and a torn heart. Draco never knew, but Ginny had considered his offer even as she returned to Harry. And she had continued to consider it for this past month and a half as she and Harry went back to acting like a couple. But the idea scared her, terrified her even. She was meant to be with Harry, she knew this and so did everyone else. She loved Harry, of course she did. But the fact was that she had not known what she felt for Draco.

She still did not know what she felt for Draco, but she knew that what he offered her would never work. Draco's temper clashed with her own and they would fight more than she and Harry did. Their friends were different, their families even more so. And Harry, what about Harry?

And of course, that was taking for granted that Draco even wanted to try again. Ginny very much doubted he did. She had hurt him the last time, and she had seen the actions of his anger. For the past month and a half he had been seen out and about with various girls, courting them publicly. He had slept around, Ginny would guess quite a bit. He was done with her, and the fact that he had slipped up last night meant nothing. He had been drunk, she had been drunk, and Harry was waiting.

No, Ginny shook her head. She would never leave Harry.

With a sigh of defeat and a sinking heart at the confrontation she was sure to encounter, Ginny made her way toward the kitchen where Draco had no doubt gone. He may have been somewhat pleasant earlier in the bedroom, but Ginny was willing to bet money that he would not be as pleasant when she left again.

Upon entering the kitchen Ginny was not sure whether she was more greatly amused or irritated. The sight before her was amusing, Draco Malfoy standing at the stove and frying eggs would crack a smile on anyone's face. Ginny, for one, had been shocked to learn that the young Malfoy heir knew how to cook anything, for surely he had house elves for that? And he did. Of course Draco Malfoy had house elves, but with Hermione's steadfast pushing in the Department of Magical Creatures, house elves might no longer be available. Or so was Draco's reasoning for learning how to cook; Ginny secretly thought he enjoyed it.

So yes, Ginny Weasley was amused to see Draco cooking, but she was also irritated, for Draco stood with his shirt still unbuttoned. She was not a weak girl, or so Ginny liked to think, but the sight of Draco cooking with his shirt unbuttoned weakened her knees. It was not that he was ungodly attractive – though his stomach was toned from the workouts his vanity demanded and he was certainly fairly attractive – but that the sight of him cooking overwhelmed her.

It was just such a mundane, homey thing to do. With Draco standing half dressed and holding a spatula in his hand, it was all too easy to imagine him doing so every morning. It became a fantasy without Ginny ever beginning to think about it, Draco Malfoy cooking her breakfast every morning looking like that. And it was an appealing idea.

"Find all your clothes then?" he said it with his back turned and none of teasing trace his voice would have held before the last time. It was a cold question, as if he wanted to make sure nothing was left behind to taint his manner. It broke Ginny's heart.

"Yes," her voice came out hoarse.

Draco did not look up as Ginny fidgeted in the doorway. Her hands began to twist in front of her for lack of something to do. Before, Draco would have grinned, and Ginny would have grinned back, sleepily, before slouching to the table or perhaps searching for more coffee. Before, Draco would have made breakfast for two and they would have eaten together, and it would not be so terribly awkward because what they had worked. Before, Draco would have smiled and Ginny would have had absolutely no idea he wanted anything more from her.

But now, Draco plainly refused to look up and Ginny's discomfort grew to new levels as her heart continued to crack viciously in her chest.

As if he heard the noise of her pain, Draco looked up and Ginny let herself hope for one wild moment before the cold and stormy grey of his eyes crushed anything even resembling hope. "What are you waiting for Weasley?" his voice was ice, but hard ice. Ice that would never splinter or crack or give. Ice that was permanent. "Surely, Potter's home right now wondering when you will arrive. Don't want to keep him waiting."

Ginny flinched. This was the Draco that she often did not see, the one that had scared her in their three weeks time together. This was the Draco who could cut with his words, who was cruel and bitter and mean when his feelings were hurt. This Draco reminded her of the Draco from her early years at Hogwarts, and it hurt to know that they were back to that.

"Draco," she stepped forward unable to help it, for Ginny Weasley could never give up and she would always try to forgive. She had forgiven Harry for not choosing her. She had forgiven a thousand things of her brothers'. She had forgiven Draco's past. And she would forgive this new awkwardness between her and Draco; she would forgive his harsh words, if he would also forgive her.

Draco turned his back again and snapped off the stove. He piled his food onto a plate and he walked to the table, the furthest point in the room from Ginny and her outstretched hand. She let it drop with a sigh.

"Please Draco; I don't want to leave when you're angry."

Draco gave a harsh bark of laughter, nothing like his true laughter which was so seldom heard. "I was angry every time you left before, Ginevra. I just hid it from you."

Ginny did not know how to respond to such a statement. She was incredibly sorry for everything she had done to this man in her naivety, but his statement also sparked anger within her. How could he be mad at her when he admitted to hiding his feelings before? How was that fair? She swallowed back this anger though, still stubbornly wishing to leave on good terms. Anything to beat the last time she had left here, with a confused heart and throbbing head coupled with the certainty of never being in Malfoy Manor again.

Draco ignored her, snapping the morning newspaper in between them as a shield. She could no longer see his face, but his tightly fisted hands crumpling the edges of the paper told her explicitly how angry he still was.

She let him stew in silence for awhile as he pretended to read, but after a few minutes she could not help herself. She had never been able to stop herself from talking to fill the silence.

"Draco," she tried again, walking a few more steps into the kitchen, "I just…"

Draco slammed down his paper and now his eyes were alive with the fire of anger, and Ginny was wishing again for the frozen grey of a determined emotionless Draco.

"You just what Ginny?" he demanded. "You're going to leave Potter? You're going to be honest with yourself and with him this time and you're really going to end it? And in two weeks you won't go crawling back to him pathetically because you just love him so much? Did that stupid tattoo change your mind?"

Ginny shrank from his rage for the first time in her life. His words hurt for all the truths they unmasked. Draco had never spoken these things out loud, not even the last time she had left him. He had always respected her decisions, even if they hurt him, but now he was speaking honestly. And it was the truth. Draco was the third party observer to the mess that was Ginny's life, the only one besides Ginny and Harry who knew everything because Ginny had always told him everything. So those angry words flowing out of his mouth hurt all the more because Ginny knew they were true. She was pathetic to keep going back.

"Didn't think so," Draco replied snidely to the empty air that said everything. He flicked the newspaper back up, a clear dismissal.

It was that dismissal, that errant gesture that did it. Ginny had seen Draco dismiss house elves the same way before, bloody house elves! In two strides she was at the table, and her hands had torn the paper away. She balled it up and threw it hard at his arrogant face though it was frozen in surprise.

"Fuck you, Draco Malfoy!" she screeched, her face burning with anger and shame and guilt and a thousand other emotions. "Don't you dare sit there and judge me! Don't you dare! I gave this a chance, I did! And it didn't work because you're an arrogant, selfish prat and all the make-up sex in the world cannot fix that! So excuse me if I want to go back to a man who I know loves me. A man who is good and kind and who will always love me! Excuse me if I don't want to be your next flavor of the week and throw away everything I always wanted! Harry loves me! So fuck you and your opinions!"

She turned, her hair whipping out behind her in a long arc that more than likely hit Malfoy across the face. She sincerely hoped it had and that the strands had stung across his skin, the prick.

The sound of footsteps behind her was not a surprise, the hand that yanked her back by her wrist, however, was.

Draco Malfoy drew her up so their faces were inches apart; his icy cold in his anger and her's a horrid red. "Fuck me, Weasley?" he hissed. "Fuck my opinions? Don't hate me for telling you the truth. Don't hate me because you know that it's pathetic to go back to Potter time and time again. Don't hate me for being honest. But screw you and your lies. You never gave this a chance. You never gave me a chance because you are a scared, naïve little girl who never grew up from that stupid little fairytale you constructed in your stupid little ten year old heart."

Ginny yanked her arm free from Draco's quiet rage, wishing nothing more than to be far away from this place of heartbreak and anger and torment. She was an idiot for coming here, had been an idiot every single time. She and Draco would never work and drunk or not she could not excuse herself for this. She withdrew her wand from her pocket and marched through the kitchen and toward the front door. She cursed the fact that she could not apparate inside the Manor walls, and almost gave into the temptation to run. But she stalked instead to the heavy door and yanked it open only to be dazzled by sunlight. She did not wait for her eyes to adjust as she stepped over the threshold.

"Have fun explaining that tattoo!" Draco's cold voice yelled from inside.

Ginny flipped the house off and hoped that Malfoy had seen. Then with a quick muttering of words and a flick of her wrist, she apparated away.


	4. Chapter 4

(Author's Note: This chapter involves no Draco, sorry! But it was necessary to keep the story flowing naturally. Also, two more characters come into play. I added them just for fun so please don't hate me!)

Despite her words to Draco, Ginny did not return to Harry. She could not return to her flat and apologize with Draco's words so fresh in her mind, calling her pathetic and cowardly. She could not look Harry in the eye right now with so many questions swirling through her brain and so much anger wrapped around her heart. She just could not.

And so, Ginny found herself on Luna's front doorstep.

She blinked in surprise at the familiar wooden door, though she should not be surprised. If her last thoughts dictated her choice in location, then it made sense to wind up at Luna's door. Aside from Hermione Luna was possibly the only one who would know how to remove the stupid tattoo that Draco had so graciously reminded Ginny of. His parting words had struck her mind in that last instant and the much more practical need overtook her anger.

She needed to get the mark removed, and for obvious reasons, she did not want Hermione to do it. Oh, she had heard the muggles had a way to remove tattoos, but she had also heard that the process was lengthy and very painful. She wanted the mark gone now.

Ginny raised her hand to knock but then froze with her hand in the air.

Luna was a much better choice than Hermione for the actual removal, but Luna's husband posed almost as much a problem as Ron would have. Just as Ron would ask questions and demand to know what Ginny needed, so would Luna's husband, and just as Hermione would tell Ron, Luna would probably tell her husband.

Ginny sighed and lowered her hand only to let her forehead drop against the door. She was screwed. She knew of no one else inside her circle of friends who would have this knowledge, unless Neville and his plants had another miracle hidden within them. Ginny snorted at the mental image of showing Neville the tattoo. He would probably faint.

So then obviously the next and most obvious choice would be to go to Saint Mungo's. Ginny frowned at the door. This plan was fine in most respects. Ginny did not personally know anyone who worked there other than the occasional acquaintance from Hogwarts, but the odds of someone like that being assigned to her were miniscule. The real problem lay in that it was entirely too possible to run into someone there. People were forever going and leaving the hospital and two of the most frequent visitors happened to be Narcissa and Draco. Narcissa had an old friend there that she liked to visit, a friend who had been badly hurt in that last battle. And Draco, well the hospital was one of his favorite charities. He was forever going to see what was being done to it.

But Ginny had no other choice. She could not remove this thing the muggle way, and she could not risk the questions of her friends. So she must brave the hospital and pray for a miracle.

Ginny moved to thwack her head soundly against the front door once more before apparating away when it was suddenly yanked inward. Ginny's momentum caused her to stumble forward a step and she found herself eye to eye with Luna.

Luna, for one, looked positively delighted to see Ginny on her doorstep. Her blue eyes gleamed and she smiled brightly. "Oh, Ginny, I thought I heard you out here. Don't worry Blaise isn't here."

Luna's dreamy voice helped soften the shock of Luna knowing exactly what was keeping Ginny outside, that and Ginny was fairly used to her friend's ability to just know certain things.

She heaved a sigh of relief at her good fortune to have come at a time when Blaise Zabini, Luna's husband, was not home. The marriage had first shocked her, as it had the rest of the wizarding world. Though Blaise Zabini had never been a death eater his family was nowhere close to the good side, not to mention Blaise had been in Slytherin. Ginny had known that Luna had been seeing someone throughout their horrendous sixth year and on through seventh, but she had never guessed it to be Blaise. But after seeing the two together for the first time, she understood completely.

For some reason, Blaise's somber manner and dry humor perfectly complimented Luna's vacant innocence and abnormal ideas. He understood everything she said perfectly with a clarity of mind even Ginny had not yet mastered, and Luna, for her part, always understood exactly what Blaise meant when his tone was ambiguous. It was that understanding that their relationship grew on, but it was also very clear that the two did care for each other and deeply. They loved each other, just as much as Ron and Hermione or Bill and Fleur did.

So of course, Ginny had quickly accepted Blaise and she had been a bridesmaid at that very strange but very cute wedding. Over time she had grown to even like the man, to appreciate his dry sense of humor. It was not personal aversion that kept her on the doorstep, but rather the fact that Blaise Zabini also happened to be Draco's best friend.

That friendship had also shocked Ginny when she noticed it in her seventh year. Not that Zabini and Malfoy had ever been hostile toward each other, they were in the same house after all, but they had never seemed close. She supposed it made sense though, that Malfoy would change his friendships. Crabbe and Goyle were long gone with the ending of the war, and Zabini was spotlessly innocent of any war crimes.

But just as Luna and Blaise's relationship went beyond logic, so did Malfoy and Zabini's friendship. Ginny had seen the two together only once, but she had known instantly that their personalities suited each other. They did not balance each other the way Blaise and Luna did, but they mirrored each other in a lot of mannerisms and such, and Draco appreciated Blaise's dry humor in a way beyond what Ginny could manage. Blaise, for his part and more surprisingly, thoroughly enjoyed teasing Draco.

"Ginny?" Luna called with another gentle smile perched on her lips as if she knew she was interrupting reminiscence into the past.

Ginny shook her head quickly dispelling the thoughts. She smiled at her best friend. "Sorry Luna, I was just thinking," she stepped quickly into the house and embraced her friend. "And I don't mean to be rude about Blaise either," she added quickly once Luna released her. "It's just…"

"Private," Luna filled in, turning her back to lead Ginny away from the door and toward her workroom as if already knowing they would need the space. She probably already did, Ginny mused.

"Yes, private."

"And it has to do with Draco," Luna added, nodding to herself as she swung open double doors.

She spoke it as confirmation of her own thoughts not as a question, so Ginny did not bother answering. Luna's perceptive abilities sometimes overwhelmed Ginny with their reach, but they never frightened her. Luna was far too kind to mean harm by seeing so easily into a situation. She simply used what she knew to help herself understand better and to put others at ease. Ginny thought Luna would have been rather suited to a career as a Healer in this aspect, but Luna had chosen instead to become a potion maker.

The career choice had not surprised Ginny, seeing as the bright Ravenclaw was both exceptionally good with potions, and that the career allowed her freedom to experiment with her wild and crazy ideas. Luna's job was a boon to Ginny, and occasionally so were her inventions, like the cream that smoothed skin out so perfectly.

"You're just in luck actually," Luna smiled as she made her way into her potions room. "Blaise just left. Imagine that coincidence?"

Ginny ignored that coincidence and instead gazed at the organized mess within the room with appreciation. There were stacks everywhere and overflowing cauldrons, but the mess made sense to Luna and every once in awhile to Ginny. Blaise could navigate it easily and often assisted his wife when he was home. Watching them together in this room was a great satisfaction to Ginny. It was concrete proof that her best friend had ended up exactly where she was meant to.

"So Ginny what is it this time?" Luna asked in a not unkind way. Her curiosity often made her forget to word her sentences carefully so as not to sound clipped. "Rug burn cure? Scratch mark eliminator? Hickey cover-up?" as Luna listed some of their past inventions together, all necessary because of Draco, her smile grew.

Ginny blushed on her part. It was always mortifying to have to explain to Luna how such injuries occurred, and the first time had been the worst. Of course Ginny had sought out her best friend after the horror of sleeping with Draco for the first time, and during their conversation where Ginny freaked out about what to do, Luna had noticed the marks all over Ginny's neck. She had calmly come up with a potion that managed to cover-up the marks for a week without having to be reapplied. It was a big seller now in George's magic shop.

"Something new, I'm afraid," Ginny muttered.

Luna turned away from her shelves of full vials, her eyes alight with curiosity. "A new one? I can't imagine what Draco did to you now."

Her light laughter was not mocking, but still Ginny flushed again.

Luna noticed the reaction, and stopped her laughter though a light smile remained. "What is it, Ginny?"

"Do you know what a tattoo is?" Ginny blurted out quickly before she lost her nerve.

To Luna's credit she did not break out into hysterics as others would have, as Blaise surely would have. A twisting of her lips to keep a grin from spreading across her face indicated that Luna did in fact know what a tattoo was. Ginny wanted to die from embarrassment. And she knew it would only get worse as she explained.


	5. Chapter 5

(Author's Note: This chapter contains some scenes in Draco's POV. Some following chapters will also contain his point of view. Enjoy!)

"I'm sorry what does that say?" Luna asked as she leaned down once again to examine the elaborate script emblazoned on Ginny's pale skin.

Ginny sighed and tried not to fidget as her friend's eyes skimmed the spot. It was not the most comfortable spot to unveil while keeping one's clothes on, and Ginny's pants were unbuttoned and pulled down at one side to show off the area. Definitely a position that would have been uncomfortable with Hermione and absolutely unbearable with Blaise or Ron around.

Luna stifled a giggle as she again read the script. "Does it really say Draco?" her light blue eyes danced as she looked up at Ginny.

Ginny groaned. "Yes, it really does."

Luna giggled again, unable to help it probably. "What on Earth possessed you to tattoo Draco's name onto your body? And why exactly did you choose that spot?"

Ginny flushed darker than she had yet. "I was drunk," she spluttered, "and trying to find a way to prove to Draco that I wouldn't go back to Harry because of our last conversation and evidently this seemed like a good idea. As for the spot…"

Luna did not miss that added blush and her quick mind caught on. "Oh, I see. It's a personal spot for you and him."

Ginny dropped her hold on her clothes so that her underwear sprung back into place covering the mark. She buried her head in her freed hands and groaned more forcefully into her palms. A personal spot indeed, just the thought of Draco anywhere near that area of skin sent her body into overdrive. Anger at Draco did nothing to dispel it. After all, Ginny was so often angry with Draco right before they slept together.

Luna studied Ginny's face as the redhead fought to keep her mind away from pale hands and deft fingers. Ginny found that the more time passed, the more she could remember of last night. And what a night it had been.

"Ginny?" Luna called gently. "What exactly did you want me to do about this?"

"Remove it." The words were out without much thought and the urge to retract them overwhelmed Ginny for a split second before she berated herself. Of course she wanted the mark removed, regardless of what Draco said or if she would go back to Harry. She had never wanted a tattoo and she certainly didn't want Draco's name on her body. She breathed out and spoke levelly this time. "I need to remove it."

Luna's kind blue eyes darkened fractionally. "Of course, if that's what you want, I will try to help you. But are you sure this is what you want?"

Ginny's temper urged her to snap at her best friend, but she bit her tongue, knowing that Luna's words so often carried a deeper meaning. Breathing through her nose, Ginny considered.

Luna had never been direct on her opinions regarding Ginny's tumultuous love life – and she, if anyone, should have an opinion. Ginny had kept nothing from Luna, not even her own growing confliction. Luna was the one who sat up with her two nights after she left Draco that last time, the one who heard Ginny sobbing over the loss though Ginny herself did not know exactly what she had lost. Luna was the one who knew without Ginny saying that she had grown to love Draco, though she would never say so out loud. And Luna knew as well that Ginny's love for Harry waned with every month where he continued to work at his job.

So it was not surprising that Luna's question was not about the tattoo. Luna was asking Ginny if she was sure she wanted Harry because, in reality, that's what this decision amounted to. If Ginny removed the mark immediately then she was choosing Harry.

Did she want him?

The echoing anger clamoring around her ribcage informed her that no, she did not want Harry at this moment. But she did want to rid herself of this tattoo.

"I don't know, Luna," Ginny finally said, running a hand through her hair in frustration. "I don't know if I'm going back to Harry and I don't know what it will mean if I do not. But I do know that I need to get rid of this tattoo because no matter what it will not help me make decisions."

The calm ex-Ravenclaw seemed to accept this answer. She nodded toward the stool Ginny normally occupied and then busied herself with perusing the shelves and muttering to herself. Ginny gratefully sank into a sitting position and threw her head into her hands.

She needed to think about this, all of it from the fight with Harry to waking up this morning, but she was so tired. She didn't want to have to decide this now, just as she had not wanted to this morning with Draco. She wanted to get the tattoo off so that she could clear her head. She wanted to go take a nap and when she woke up then she could decide.

Despite what Draco wanted to believe, leaving Harry would never be a simple decision. Even the thought of it hurt Ginny's heart. She still loved Harry, no matter how he had hurt her. Luna understood this, and for this along with many other reasons she remained Ginny's sole confidant. The only other person who knew about Ginny and Draco was Blaise, and that was not Ginny's doing.

Ginny's head snapped up sharply and her neck cracked in protest. "Luna," her voice echoed desperately off of the walls as her wild eyes waited for her friend to turn around. "Where is Blaise?"

Luna's eyes saddened; she had never been a girl to try to hide her emotions. "He's with Draco of course. Draco floo'd this morning, emergency business meeting."

Ginny closed her eyes against a new wave of guilt.

Emergency business meeting, right. It was a Saturday morning. Draco only called Blaise in on emergencies when he absolutely needed the distraction of work. And Draco only needed the distraction of work when he was furiously mad or brokenly sad. And either would be Ginny's fault.

Ginny could only wonder which he was this morning.

Draco threw another glass at the wall and watched as it shattered and the pieces fell onto the pieces of previous glasses. They made a tinkling sound when they landed and the sound grew as the pile grew. The first glass had been thrown in anger, the second also and possibly even the third, but after that Draco's temper had died and he continued to throw out of boredom and because the broken glass calmed something ragged inside of him.

If he could focus on broken exterior things then perhaps he would not have to consider broken interior things.

He snorted at himself. _What a ridiculous, sentimental thought._ As if Draco Malfoy was capable of a broken heart, or a heart at all. And if he did have one then he would certainly never let a Weasley be the one to break it.

Another glass met its end against the kitchen wall, and Draco reached for another but found only empty space. He glanced up at the cabinet where cups were kept to see that it was in fact completely empty. The house elves would not be pleased; Draco couldn't remember exactly how many cups he owned, but he was sure that it was a rather large number for a single man.

"How many cups was that?" a voice questioned from the doorway, echoing Draco's thoughts.

Draco calmly shut the cupboard door, not turning around. The voice was male so his heart, the foolish thing, did not jump erratically at the prospect of it being _her_, and only one person knew Draco's thoughts so well.

"I'm not really sure," Draco answered Blaise and then eyed the pile again. It was an impressive amount of shattered glass. The house elves would be furious in their tiny little way. Draco sighed; despite what others thought he did not mistreat his house elves. In fact, he only had two now, and he was quite attached to both. If anything, he hated to disappoint the creatures.

"I'd wager twelve, no fifteen," Blaise continued, looking solely at the pile as he entered the kitchen. Draco noticed that Blaise was wearing a full business suit, his hands tucked into the pockets. Blaise was trying for casual apathy this morning, acting as though he had planned to do business on a Saturday and as if he did not know the true reason Draco called him to the Manor.

Draco was immensely grateful for the effort. "Fifteen."

Blaise looked up with a quick smile, but Draco did not miss the dark eyes as they quickly scanned his face, looking for cracks or anger or anything Draco supposed. Blaise would find nothing though; Draco was in complete control again.

"So what business do we have to discuss on this lovely Saturday?"

Draco frowned to himself. He really had not thought this through. His business – the only legacy his father had left that Draco had any interest in – was completely stagnant at the moment. Not to say that it was suffering; the family business was as affluent as always, more successful now with all of the charity Draco and his mother did, but they were at a point where they had acquired what they needed to acquire, had sold what they needed to sell, and had settled anything that needed to be settled. In short, it would have been the perfect time for Draco to take a vacation.

Draco saw Blaise smirk out of the corner of his eye. "Let's go into the drawing room," he stated, leading the way in order to leave the kitchen. He did not want to be in that room any longer but the front entryway was almost worse. Too many memories from the night before began in that area and Draco couldn't stop them as he tried to command his eyes to stay forward. Instead he found himself glancing around, searching for the items of clothing he knew he had left scattered about the previous night.

But of course nothing was there now. Ginny Weasley was nothing if not thorough. She would never leave a trace of herself behind, and Merlin knew she had enough practice in leaving.

The last thought caused Draco to shove open the double doors leading into the drawing room harder than he intended. They slammed back against the walls, but Draco ignored the echoing boom and marched straight for the liquor cabinet. He immediately began mixing two drinks there.

"It's ten thirty, mate," Blaise's voice stated calmly from the doorway.

Draco turned around with both drinks to see Blaise still standing, his hands in his pockets. "Does that mean you don't want the drink?" Draco wiggled the glass. "Because I would be more than happy to drink it myself."

Blaise frowned but stepped forward and took the drink. Draco smiled at the small victory. Maybe he could never manipulate Ginny, but at least he knew he was not truly losing his touch.

A frown crossed his face in the next instant and the urge to throw glasses struck him again. He had been thinking about her too often lately, and with too much fondness. This morning alone he had thought of her too many times after she left.

He needed to remember that she left him, again. He needed to remember that he had made an offer to her – an offer that showed his vulnerabilities more than he intended – and that she had turned him down. He needed to remember that Ginny Weasley had never been his and would never be his. He needed to move on.

Draco flopped down into one of two easy chairs in the room and blew his messy hair away from his forehead. He had been telling himself much the same for the past month and a half as he slept his way through a crowd of women who had absolutely nothing in common with Ginny. That had been as much to piss her off as to help him forget. But of course, all of that distraction was blown away when she showed up on his doorstep last night.

What about the redhead it was that drew Draco in, he could not name. Something about the way she smiled and laughed and had a temper. Something about the way she was passionate to defend anything or anyone she believed in, and the way that passion translated over into physical touches. Something about her eyes and that hair. There was just something about Ginny Weasley that interested Draco Malfoy.

He had never meant to become involved with her. Though his prejudices disappeared when his father went to Azkaban and when he was pardoned, Draco had never expected to become acquainted with the youngest of the Weasley offspring. He had never truly hated her in school and had only teased her out of necessity rather than true spite. That first night when she had approached him in the library looking beyond tired he had been quick to help her for fear that she would fall asleep standing up. And the times after that he had never really considered what helping her meant. She was just a student who was not afraid to be near him, who did not bring up the past. She was just a girl.

And then when he had ran into her when she was drunk, he had not intended to sleep with her. But he had also been tipsy and when she had made the first move – for crawling onto someone's lap was undoubtedly a move – he was quick to follow. And he had never regretted that decision.

For all the trouble it caused him now, Draco would never take back his nights and days with Ginny. She was the best he had ever had in bed, meeting him in every way. But she was also a match to him in daily life with a temper to match his own and a yell that nearly drowned out his. Draco loved the fighting and making up, and he also loved the idea of the controversy a Weasley and a Malfoy together would stir up.

But he had never intended to voice any of those feelings to her. He was not stupid or naïve or blind. He knew that every time Ginny came to him it was only to leave again. He knew that she loved Potter despite everything and that, even if someday she did not want him, she would still choose to be with him. It was what her family wanted, what the wizarding world expected. And it was what Ginny knew.

When Draco had asked her to stay with him, it had been in a moment of weakness. And when she had stayed, he had tried to stop the relationship from changing, but it had proven impossible. For whatever Ginny might say on the matter, she and Draco worked together as a couple, a destructive couple prone to fighting but a couple nonetheless.

He should have never allowed that. He should have never pushed her when he was at his weakest, wrapped up in her body in his own bed with only the sheets covering them. He should not have made demands and talked about more, even if as he said it he knew that was what he wanted.

He was a fool and an idiot and just as naïve as Potter when it came to Ginny.

And he hated it.

"If you're going to break that glass too I suggest you drink what's in it first," Blaise's voice interrupted Draco's internal monologue.

Draco looked up to see that Blaise was studying him in that intent and serious way Blaise had. Draco had never been particularly fond of Blaise before the war. Those dark eyes saw too much in that calm face. But afterwards, Blaise's calm and quiet exterior had been a balm to him. Blaise may be quiet and may see more than Draco wanted to share, but at least the man knew how to keep a secret and he understood a bit about coming from a disjointed household.

"I'm not going to break it." Draco loosened his hold on the glass but drained it anyways. He wanted to get sloshed at the moment, but he knew that would not be productive.

Blaise said nothing about the glass as Draco sat it down on a side table. "Alright, so what business exactly did you want to discuss?"

Draco hesitated. The question clearly had a double meaning. It was Blaise's way of giving Draco the option to talk about Ginny and what had clearly happened or to choose to distract himself, and Blaise would let Draco do either. Draco did sometimes talk to Blaise about Ginny, but very seldom. He was not an open man, prone to discussing feelings. Often, Draco sought Blaise out only to help him with work as a distraction and if he blurted something irrational about Ginny while doing so then Blaise took it in stride.

So what did Draco want today?

The answer was quite clear. He wanted a distraction, not talk. Ginny had left and despite the tattoo she now had on her hip, Draco doubted she would ever be back. Not in the way he wanted. No, Draco needed to put an end to all of this. He needed to sharpen and focus his mind, and he suddenly knew how.

With a devilish smile that caused Blaise to raise his eyebrows, Draco set his new plan in motion. "I want to acquire some new businesses into the Malfoy Corporation. I think it's about time we broke into the Muggle side of the world, and I think tattoo parlors would be the perfect place to start."


	6. Chapter 6

(Author's Note: This chapter has no Draco again sorry! But there is something new! Enjoy and thank you readers.)

"I'm sorry Ginny," Luna leaned back and blew a frazzled strand of blonde hair out of her face. Her blue eyes showed irritation as she looked at the tattoo that was still clearly emblazoned on Ginny's hip. "It just won't budge."

A frustrated yell escaped Ginny's mouth and she itched to kick something. This was the third potion that Luna had rubbed over her tattoo, and so far the most they had accomplished was covering up the tattoo. That had been the second potion and while it completely covered the mark, it was not waterproof and it would not last forever.

Luna looked just as frustrated as Ginny. She had been confident after the first potion was done, commanding Ginny to change into a swim suit bottom so that they could have easier access to the mark. But that potion had done nothing, and this third potion only made the mark look grey rather than black.

"I tried everything I know. Maybe it's because it's under the skin," Luna raised her hands helplessly, her eyebrows drawn down in thought. "But the second potion was designed to penetrate the layers. Of course then I can't include the waterproof ingredients because they break down under the skin…"

Ginny drowned out Luna as she continued to ramble. Ginny glared down at the offending mark wondering how an inanimate object could embody a person so perfectly. Draco might as well be standing in the corner smirking at her. He would have made some comment about how she couldn't get rid of him. He would have rejoiced in the permanence.

And he would have a right to his celebration. She had his name permanently etched onto her skin. He might as well own her.

'_You're mine.'_

_ Draco's mouth left Ginny's neck and he balanced himself firmly on his forearms above her. His heated grey eyes sought out Ginny's flushed face, contrasting with the silk sheets she was laying on. Both their chests were heaving and with every inhalation bare skin brushed tantalizingly against bare skin._

_ 'You're mine,' Draco repeated once he held Ginny's gaze ensnared. His eyes were dark and his mouth turned down, his face as serious as she had ever seen it. His hair hung in disarray, the white blonde strands clinging to his skin with sweat. She itched to push his hair back._

_ His words set Ginny's heart pounding and a thrum went through her stomach. An ache awakened in her chest and her breath hitched._

_ 'Draco…'_

_ But Draco didn't let Ginny finish whatever her thought was – whether it was to berate him or to beg him to say it again, she was not sure. His hand reached down and with nimble fingers he traced the tattoo on her hip. Ginny's breathing grew erratic as she watched Draco trace his own name. His lips pulled up into a small smile as his fingertips barely applied pressure, causing Ginny to shake and press hungrily back, craving more._

_ 'You are mine.' His voice was firm and definite and happy. With a quickness that Ginny was still not accustomed to, Draco's fingers drifted over the mark one more time before darting to the left and finding Ginny's center. She gasped and Draco caught her open mouth in his, stealing a kiss._

Ginny came out of the memory with a flushed face and the same erratic breathing she remembered. A quick, fearful glance at Luna told her that the blonde was still deep in thought and utterly unaware of Ginny's predicament.

And it was a predicament.

The memory was all too clear and Ginny's response was all too powerful. She could feel Draco's fingers ghosting against her skin and the goose bumps that arose in response. She remembered the feel of him perched above her, right before they had had sex. She remembered the lust in his eyes and the hunger, but she also remembered the joy as he looked at the tattoo.

And she remembered thinking that he was right. That tattoo made Ginny his.

Ginny closed her eyes as she heard Draco's whisper again, as if he were breathing it right into her ear. _You're mine._ And she did not miss the response. She felt again that tightening of her stomach muscles, that ache in her chest, the hectic breathing. She responded to Draco calling her his. No, more than that.

Ginny liked Draco calling her his.

She loved hearing Draco say so. Loved the way his fingers traced her skin with reverence. She loved the way he made her feel every time they were together, not just this last. She loved the way he moved and how he knew her inside and out. Draco was the best she had ever had.

Ginny had only slept with three guys in her life. The first had been Dean, a quick rushed experience at Hogwarts that mirrored every other girl's first time in her year. The second had been Harry, and had been after his return and after the war. Harry was a careful lover, a respectful one. He loved her, and Ginny knew it while they moved together. Harry was a good lover, but he was no Draco.

With Harry she was complacent, content. With Draco she was on fire. She was broken. She was whole. She was hot and she was cold. She was about to die if he touched her again, but felt dead when he wasn't touching her skin. She was a thousand things and completely unable to focus on any of them. With Draco she loved it.

She loved him.

"Ginny," Luna called quietly.

With a gasp, Ginny's eyes darted open. Her panicked gaze landed on Luna who sat cross-legged on the floor. Luna looked serenely up at her best friend, her blue eyes full of what Ginny would describe as pity.

"You were thinking of him," Luna's statement echoed around the room in silence as Ginny tried to still her whirling mind. "You've been thinking of Draco all morning," Luna continued as Ginny tried to block out the calm voice by closing her eyes again. "And not like you normally think of him. You're usually so mad when you come here or guilty or resigned. But I've never seen you sad and distracted. I've never seen you so torn between Harry and Draco."

Harry and Draco.

The phrase echoed around in Ginny's pounding head. It didn't sound natural, their two names thrown together like that. By rights they should never be in such close proximity together. And they never would have been except for Ginny had somehow managed to fall in love with both of them. Ginny slapped her hands over her ears, as if she could block out the whisper of Harry and Draco's names together in her head. She gave an anguished cry.

"Ginny," Luna's fingers gently touched Ginny's arm and she waited until her redheaded friend met her blue-eyed gaze and dropped her hands. "You know what you want. Why are you fighting it?"

"Because what if it isn't real?" the answer was out before Ginny could stop it and she hated herself for saying the truth. She wanted to blame Luna for finally delivering her own opinion, for saying out loud the choice that Ginny wanted to make – Draco. But Ginny couldn't blame anybody for her cowardice. She was running away from Draco because she did not trust him to love her back. She loved him, but she could not trust his love.

Luna's blue eyes swam with sudden tears. "Oh, Ginny," her quiet voice was musical even in her sadness. "Is that what's holding you back? You don't think Draco loves you?"

A pit opened up in Ginny's stomach and she turned away to wrap her arms securely around herself. She hated this fear, hated the weakness it was. She was a Gryffindor, supposedly afraid of nothing, and yet she feared not having the love of a Slytherin. She feared it enough to keep going back and forth for an entire year, tearing herself apart the entire time. She feared it more than anything.

"He's never said he loved me," Ginny whispered brokenly. "He's never said it directly and neither have I. I'm not blind or stupid, I know he wants me, and I know he meant what he said when he asked me to stay. But it's Draco" – Ginny's voice caught – "he changes his mind so often. What if I turn out to be just another girl?"

There, it was said. Ginny's real fears, real reasons, were out in the open and they could not be taken back. She had admitted to it finally, the reason she would not stay with Draco. And it was a real reason.

Silence met Ginny's question as she knew it would. Luna was not one to give out false promises, and the blonde knew just how flighty Draco's fancy was. She had been there to see Ginny's rage at every girl Draco had jumped to during the past year and it had been a long list.

Draco Malfoy was notoriously flighty. He was easily distracted and hard to please. He was demanding and wanted his way. He was not ready to settle down with one girl.

Ginny knew all of this and so did Luna. Luna would not give false promises. Luna would never lie just to heal Ginny's sore heart.

So it shocked Ginny when Luna spoke.

"But you must know you're different than them," Luna was closer now, speaking directly to Ginny's back. She sounded sure of herself, sure of what she was saying. "They were all one time flings, Ginny. He has never gone back to a girl, except for you. And he has put up with so much Ginny. You've left him time and again and he has always accepted you back. I've been around Draco enough to know he cares for you Ginny. He was angry with you before last night and still he was worried about your well-being. Don't tell me he wasn't. He took you back into his home despite his own pain. Even if he hasn't said it out loud, you must know that he loves you."

Ginny wiped hastily at the tears brimming over in her eyes. She desperately wanted to believe Luna. She wanted to believe that this love she felt for Draco was not one-sided or in vain, but Draco's words echoed back at her. He had said she was naïve with Harry, that she still believed in the fairytale. What if she was doing the same with Draco? What if she threw away everything – Harry, her family, her life as it was – for Draco and he didn't love her like he thought he did? What if Ginny was once again dreaming of a fairytale?

She had been through the pain of realizing that once with Harry, and though she hated it, she had grown to deal with it. She could take the pain of Harry betraying her fantasy because she knew he still loved her. But she could not take the pain of Draco destroying her fairytale because it would mean he did not love her. And Ginny could not survive that.

"You're right Luna," she finally whispered. "I've hurt Draco a lot, too many times. What if I ruined it, the love he thought he had for me? He already told me it was over. What if I give up everything for him and he doesn't want to do it for me? I already ruined my chance. Why should he give me another one?"

This time Luna did not have an answer. Her skinny arms wrapped securely around Ginny and they embraced tightly as Ginny fought down her emotions.

"I don't have an answer for you," Luna whispered. "I do not know what Draco would do if you went back. But I do think he loves you more than even he realizes yet. And I think you love him more than you are willing to acknowledge. I think you guys could become great. But more than that, I think you need to leave Harry."

A new bolt of fear went through Ginny, paralyzing her. She had known since she last left Draco that she no longer loved Harry, not how she should. She would always love Harry, as her first love, as a close friend, but she was no longer in love with him. She should leave him. She should let him go find real love and someone who would not mind his job as she always would. But she hadn't been able to force herself to do it over the past month and a half.

Ginny had been with Harry for years, ever since she was sixteen. She could not imagine life without him, different than the weeks where they were separated. She could not imagine leaving and not having Harry come to find her and ask her to come back. She could not imagine going months without seeing him, or the anger that would follow. She could not imagine explaining it to her family or the gossip in the magazines.

Luna sighed and Ginny knew that her friend understood without her having to say a word. This was not the first time Ginny and Luna had talked about Ginny leaving Harry.

"You don't have to make a decision now," Luna released Ginny from the hug and faced her. "You can stay here for awhile until I find a potion that will remove your tattoo. You can stay here until you figure out what you want to do."

Ginny smiled in relieved thanks. "Thank you Luna. I love you."

"Go for a swim, Blaise just renovated the indoor pool. He'll probably come in here first anyway when he gets home. Go think about what you want to do, and I'll come get you so we can cover up that mark. Hopefully, the real solution is around the corner," Luna waved Ginny away with a smile.

Giving Luna one last hug, Ginny left the workroom and headed for one of Luna's guest rooms. Luna was right. Ginny needed time to think, and she needed to do it alone. Luna had finally given her opinion, and Ginny needed to work from there. And then once Luna found a way to remove the mark, Ginny would need to choose what she wanted to do. If she wanted to leave Harry. If she wanted to go to Draco. If she wanted to stay single.

Ginny needed to choose.


	7. Chapter 7

(Author's Note: Just a reminder that Ginny is the main focus of this story. Ginny has a deep conversation with someone. Enjoy. Also I think this story will end up being about 10 chapters. Just keep that in mind.)

But choosing was easier said than done, Ginny realized. She had been floating in the pool for three hours and still had no idea what she was going to do. The stubborn part of her did not want to give up on Harry but the adventurous part of her, the one she had only recently rediscovered with Draco, wanted to try something new. She wanted to try dating Draco, but was the possible hurt going to be worth it?

That was the question she kept getting stuck on.

Even the idea of Draco one day leaving her hurt intensely, she could not imagine the real thing. She could not imagine anything being worth that. And it was very likely that Draco would leave her, no matter what Luna thought.

Heaving a sigh, Ginny quickly stood up in the pool. The water had been relaxing, as Luna had known it would be. The indoor pool was wonderful and Ginny was grateful that Luna had talked Blaise into the muggle tradition. She waded forward toward the stairs, the water leaving her hips. She glanced down at the tattoo, clearly visible with water drops glistening on it, as she got out of the pool.

It really was such a pretty font, and Ginny had never had anything against tattoos really. She thought select ones looked good, and this mark would almost be alright if it wasn't a name. It was foolish to get someone's name on you. People were not permanent, Ginny had realized long ago. People left and died and moved on and no one could stop them.

Draco had said last time that he was leaving her permanently. Was she never going to see him again if she chose Harry again? And if she decided to stay single for awhile would Draco not want her later on? Would he move on?

As Ginny reached for a towel, she thought she knew the answer to at least one of her questions.

"Weasley." The voice stopped Ginny cold, hand held above a folded white towel, hair dripping down her back. She was frozen.

Footsteps echoed against the concrete floor and Ginny didn't dare move. The person stepped around her carefully before finally coming into view. Blaise Zabini smirked at Ginny as he took in her frozen form. Then, as if drawn there by some other force, his eyes spotted the tattoo and widened fractionally. Ginny's hands darted to cover the mark but she was too late. Zabini's smile widened.

"Well that explains that," he spoke quietly and cryptically and Ginny fought down her blush. She liked Blaise, she did. But every time after she was with Draco she could not face him. He was Draco's best friend, and therefore, not on her side. And even if he behaved friendly enough afterwards, she knew that internally he agreed with Draco.

"That explains what?" she snapped. She yanked a towel up and quickly wrapped it around her body, angry at herself for being so embarrassed. She should be able to face Blaise. It was only a tattoo, a drunken mistake. What had happened to her courage these past three years?

Blaise folded his arms and leaned casually against the nearest wall. His eyes were calm, his face smooth. Ginny had no idea what he was thinking. "That," he nodded toward the covered mark and smiled when Ginny blushed again, "explains why Draco has been carting me from tattoo shop to tattoo shop this morning."

Ginny's mouth fell open. "He what?"

"He decided that his company needs to infiltrate the muggle world and that tattoo parlors were the way to go. I'll admit that I didn't understand that logic, until now that is."

"Why does it make sense now?" Ginny snapped again, unable to help it. Not knowing what Blaise was thinking put her on edge. Where was Luna? Luna had said she would stop Blaise.

Blaise waved a hand vacantly through the air. "Oh you know Draco, Ginevra. He's determined to forget about you, but we all know he can't really. Those tattoo parlors were a compromise. Something that seemingly has nothing to do with you so he can lie to himself and say he is over you, but something that at the same time has everything to do with you. I don't doubt that he was thinking about you the entirety of this morning."

Ginny didn't know what to say in response to that. It didn't sound like Draco to her, but how well did she really know Draco? She knew his anger and his love, his passion and his apathy. But Blaise knew all of Draco.

"So my question is," Blaise continued, never letting his eyes leave Ginny's face, "when are you going to cut the poor man loose?"

"Draco is loose," Ginny answered immediately.

Blaise raised an eyebrow.

"I mean that I never had him, Blaise," Ginny amended, shifting uncomfortably. "He's the one who said he was done last time. I assumed he was done this time as well when I left. It's always been his choice. He's always been in control. He might still be angry, but by tomorrow he'll probably have some new girl attached to his arm and I'll be the last thing on his mind."

That last part came out more bitterly than Ginny had intended and she wanted to kick herself. Not that it wasn't true; it was and that was the problem. Draco would probably have a new girl by tomorrow. Ginny ignored the spike of jealously that shot through her.

Blaise just continued to study her, his eyes intense. After a minute of complete silence through which Ginny refused to squirm, his eyebrows just barely lifted. "Hmm, well Luna was right then."

"What?" Ginny's head spun at the abrupt change in conversation. She could never keep up with Blaise.

A small smile slipped across Blaise's face. "Well naturally Luna and I talk about you and Draco, we can't help it. The last time you left, when I had to pick up the pieces of Draco and Luna had to pick up the pieces of you, Luna told me she thought you were afraid. I thought you were just messing with Draco and his attachment had scared you away. But Luna was right, wasn't she? You're afraid that Draco isn't serious about you."

Ginny's thoughts were stuck on the phrase 'pick up the pieces of Draco.' She remembered what a mess she had been the first night Harry had left her alone again after she had returned. It had been the first time she let herself think about Draco, and inexplicably tears had begun pouring down her face. A deep ache had radiated from her chest and Ginny had not been able to breathe. She had shown up at Luna's door in that state and the night had passed in one long tear-streaked blur of sobbing confessions.

Was Blaise insinuating that Draco had been in much the same state?

Ginny's mind immediately rejected the idea. Draco Malfoy was controlled. He would never allow himself such a lapse in emotional control. The only time Draco Malfoy was not completely measured was when they were having sex or yelling. And he could still stop his emotions if he wanted to, Ginny had seen it. There was just no way she had inspired a complete loss of control within Draco Malfoy. That would mean his feelings were much deeper than she had ever imagined. They couldn't be.

She was shaking her head before realizing it. "Draco isn't serious about me," she whispered, looking at the ground. "He thinks he wants me, but once he has me, he won't anymore. I understand Draco more than you think. He wants what he can't have but once he has it, he will grow bored. I don't want to deal with that."

Ginny sat down miserably, but she was startled when Blaise walked over and kneeled down in front of her. She was even more startled when she looked up to see his eyes blazing.

"You're forgetting that Draco has grown up. You're remembering the Draco from Hogwarts, and you're right. That Draco would act exactly like what you are describing, but this Draco, he's different. I can't explain exactly how or even when he changed so much, but he is different, Ginny. What he feels for you, well," Blaise paused as if searching for the right word and Ginny held her breath, "I would call it love." Blaise shrugged his shoulders.

Ginny felt like the room was spinning. "It can't be love." No, what she and Draco had was nowhere near love. Love was supposed to be built over time, over dates and romance and getting to know each other. Real love could not be built over sex and lust and meetings over a year. Despite what Ginny knew she felt, this could not be love.

Blaise's mouth puckered slightly. "Luna said it was love a long time ago and my reaction was pretty much like yours. How could it be love when you two hardly know each other? I mean you've spent a grand total of a month together throughout this past year. But after seeing Draco fall apart these past two times, my doubts are gone. I can't explain it Ginny, but I know you feel it too. You two love each other, and maybe it won't work out, but you have to try. And I'm not saying this just for Draco, though I really don't know how he's going to cope if you never go back to him. I'm saying this for you. You owe it to both of you to try. Real love seldom happens, and I think you guys could have it."

Ginny closed her eyes and shook her head in disbelief. Who would have thought Blaise Zabini would be encouraging her to go after Draco Malfoy? Who would have thought she'd be listening?

Because she was listening.

Luna had said pretty much the same thing a month and a half ago, but Ginny hadn't heard her. Ginny had been thinking the same thing for the past year but she didn't trust herself. But Blaise, his motivations were pure. He would have no reason to lie to Ginny. If he was saying that Draco loved her, then Draco must. If he said that it was worth it, then it must be. Ginny thought suddenly of Luna and Blaise who must have faced much the same dilemma once. Blaise's family could have reacted the exact same way Ginny feared her's would, and he had still given it all up for Luna. Could Ginny do the same?

"Do you really think," Ginny paused as she looked hopefully up at Blaise. "Do you really think Draco would still be willing to try after everything?"

She was grateful when Blaise did not instantly respond. He folded his hands underneath his chin and thought, eyebrows folding together over his eyes.

"I think that Draco's pride is wounded and that he might not accept you back immediately," Ginny's heart fell. "But," Blaise continued quickly, "I also think that he would be scared as well. Draco has as much to lose as you, more emotionally even. You have a history of leaving him. It would be a big risk. But I believe that you would know exactly how to make him realize that you were serious this time. I think you could make him want to try."

"How?"

Blaise slowly stood with a small smile. "Now that, I don't know. I may understand Draco the best, but you have more experience being in a relationship with him. You've dealt with his anger and his love. Just think about it, and I know you can figure out a way to reach him."

Ginny let the room fall into silence and let her thoughts finally drift to where they had wanted to go for awhile now. Could she make Draco take her back? Could she leave Harry? The second question was easy enough to answer. It was the one question she had always known the answer to; she had just never wanted to acknowledge it. She could leave Harry, and with Blaise's help, she thought she might be able to be with Draco.

The relief she felt was indescribable.

"Thank you Blaise," Ginny smiled up at the man who her best friend had married, so grateful that Luna had found him.

Blaise smiled back and reached a hand down to help Ginny stand.

She grasped it and was about to stand when the doors opened. They both turned to see Luna standing there with a curious look on her face.

"Ginny," her blue eyes were desperate as she looked at her best friend. "Oh no, you've been in the pool."

Ginny wanted to respond that of course she had been in the pool. It had been three hours and Luna had specifically said go to the pool. But the emotions flashing across Luna's face made her bite her tongue.

"Luna, what's…?"

But Ginny's question stuck in her throat when Luna stepped to the side and a man walked through the door. And suddenly, Luna's question made perfect sense. Ginny had washed away even the slight coverage they had given her mark, and normally, it wouldn't have mattered because she was at Luna's house.

But it did matter now, because Harry Potter stood in the doorway.


	8. Chapter 8

(Author's Note: Alright here is the next chapter! And also, I am officially leaving for vacation tomorrow so here's what I am going to try to do. I am going to attempt to post the rest of the story throughout today. Most of it is done but it needs some final tweaking and editing. Normally I would wait a day or so, but because I am leaving for a week and it would be impossibly cruel to leave the story like this, I will be posting every few hours until the story is over! Keep that in mind and enjoy this chapter!)

For one infinite moment, Ginny could only stare at the man she had thought she would marry. She could only take in the familiar black hair and green eyes, and yes, even the same glasses, of the man she had thought herself in love with for the past nine years. She could only watch as he flashed her the same heartbreakingly innocent and bashful smile she had once adored. But now everything felt different.

Ginny's heart pounded as she slowly stood up, towel wrapped firmly around her body. Her eyes fell from Harry's face and silence rang in her ears deafeningly. She could feel the pressure of her family with the weight of Harry's eyes. She could feel the mold of the life she had planned out as she was pushed back toward it. But now, instead of craving that fairytale, Ginny felt like she was being crammed into a place she did not fit. Like putting on a dress two sizes too small, Ginny could not breathe.

She had only just decided to choose Draco. She had only just let her heart make up her mind. And now she was staring down the logical side of the argument she had waged for a year. Now she was staring down everything she would be giving up.

And she did not know how she could do it.

"Ginny," Harry sounded relieved and he walked quickly towards her.

Ginny moved back without meaning to, and Harry stopped, blushing.

"Ginny," he said again, but his voice was different. This tone Ginny was familiar with. It was the tone Harry used when he was sorry. It was how his voice sounded when he was about to apologize and ask her to come back. It was the tone of voice that tugged at Ginny's heart strings but had, at the same time, never sounded sincere enough.

Ginny shook her head and wished she could clamp a firm hand around her fickle heart. Harry's voice should have no power over her any longer. She wanted Draco. She had chosen Draco. But she was still human, and hearing the hurt in Harry's voice still caused sympathy to swell in her breast. She felt the muscle memory of walking forward and embracing Harry, as she normally did at this point. She felt the ghost of the relief she would feel once he hugged her back. She remembered clearly the steps that would follow if she walked towards him. But she was not walking towards him. Not this time.

As if realizing the change, Harry shoved his hands in his pockets awkwardly. A small, vindictive part of Ginny was glad that Harry felt awkward. It whispered that Harry deserved this small discomfort for everything he had put her through. But the voice was drowned out by the war waging inside of Ginny's body. Her heart may be made up, but her mind and her body were still undecided. Both knew Harry and they weren't giving up.

"Ginny, look," Harry began for the third time, glancing around uneasily at Blaise and Luna who were both standing silently in the room. "Can we talk alone?" His green eyes – such an innocent color – sought out Blaise at this request and Ginny felt it. Harry did not even ask her opinion anymore. He was not asking her if she wanted to be alone with him because he assumed that she would. The small slight gave Ginny an edge, gave her something concrete to stand on, a reason that made sense.

Luna looked to Ginny over Harry's shoulder and Ginny knew Blaise was also staring at her back, waiting for her permission. It took a moment for Harry's eyes to also shift to Ginny as he absorbed that she was in charge of this decision. Ginny waited until Harry was staring at her with a slight crease between his eyebrows before she responded.

"We can talk alone." Ginny turned to Blaise and nodded and then turned to Luna. She lightly tapped her chin as she made eye contact with her best friend. Luna's eyes widened fractionally and then a small smile stole onto her face. She nodded once and then walked out of the room with Blaise close behind.

Ginny hid her own smile, glad that Luna remembered the signal. It was one they had developed at Hogwarts when one or the other became trapped in a situation and the other had to leave the room. At first it had been used to signal the other to wait while a teacher scolded or spoke to one of them, but over time, it had transformed into a signal they used when held back by a boy. It meant wait outside and listen. It meant interrupt if something sounds wrong. It meant this will only take a little while.

Ginny had meant that last meaning when she signaled Luna this time. This meeting would not take long. She had made her decision, and she would follow through with it. She tried to harden her heart as she turned back to look at Harry Potter, knowing that though she loved Draco and wanted him, it would still take courage to turn away from Harry and everything she had known.

She was right.

A familiar ache went through Ginny when she saw Harry standing there looking sheepish. It was such a familiar expression on his face, reminiscent of the times he had gotten caught for breaking the rules. It was a face of apology, but it was also a face of defiance. For every time Harry wore this face he was acknowledging that he had done something wrong, but he was also arguing that it had been necessary. Ginny knew this was how he thought of their fights – bad but necessary.

That was the real problem in their relationship. Harry thought of it in terms of war, where sacrifices had to be made for the greater good. It had been the hardest lesson he had learned, the one that tasted the most bitter, but he had learned it. They had all learned of the loss required to win. But Harry was wrong to view their relationship this way. Ginny had no interest in living in this kind of war where their relationship was another pawn to the greater good of the world. She wanted a husband that was her's, not the world's. Harry would never be that.

The realization was the last crack in the logic Ginny had used as armor for the past year, and with a rush it tumbled down. The relief was heady, and she almost missed it as Harry spoke.

"Gin," Harry breathed out and quickly embraced her. He just as quickly pulled back when Ginny didn't instantly respond. She held her breath and waited for a reaction, but Harry didn't appear bothered. "I'm so glad I found you. I looked everywhere, at the Burrow and all of your brothers' houses, but no one had seen you."

Ginny quickly shook her head. "No, I needed to talk to Luna. I…"

"You needed your best friend," Harry filled in, and Ginny fought the urge to smack him for interrupting her. It was irrational anger. Harry was only saying what his reasons would have been if he had gone to Ron and Hermione. He was not a bad person, even if he had hurt her. She needed to remember that if she hoped to get out of this without destroying everything.

So Ginny smiled slightly. "Yes, I needed Luna's advice."

Harry nodded. "It's completely understandable. I went to Ron and Hermione's last night." Ginny almost rolled her eyes but again fought the urge. Now was not the time to pick out every petty thing about Harry that bothered her. Now was not the time to yell about every little flaw and quirk that irked her. Harry continued, oblivious to Ginny's internal struggle with her temper, "And I'm glad Luna helped you, but we need to go home."

Ginny's mind went blank. This was not the way this script went. Harry was supposed to apologize. He was supposed to ask her to come back. He was not supposed to be glad about Luna's help. He was not supposed to demand she went home.

"What?" her voice did not come out as sharp as she had expected it to, but it did sound every bit as dumbstruck as she was.

Harry ran a hand quickly through his hair, his eyes distant. "I was at Ron's last night like I said when I got a call. They found Rookwood in Italy yesterday and I need to go get him. Right now they have two people tailing him, but I have to assist with the capture. I couldn't leave without finding you first, but now I need to go."

Ginny's legs gave out and she hit the chair behind her hard. She wanted to laugh.

Harry James Potter, the boy who was so naïve and pure-hearted that only he could hurt someone this way. Only he could become so focused on rescuing the world that he would overlook personal arguments and forget everything. It was like when he left her before her sixth year, or when he broke up with her at Dumbledore's funeral. Harry was so willing to self-sacrifice that he never considered that Ginny would not be nearly so obliging.

Ginny was not willing to just forget about this fight so that Harry could run off to Italy and be a hero. But Harry would be if he was in her place. It was all so heartbreakingly innocent, how someone could hurt someone else so badly simply by being good. Maybe that had been the problem all along, Ginny mused, Harry was simply too purely good for her selfish heart.

"Ginny, why are you sitting down?" and now Harry did sound concerned.

Ginny looked up at him in a daze. How in the name of Merlin was she going to explain this to him? It would take weeks to break it all down word for word. And Harry would never truly understand because fundamentally they were different. They thought different. Ginny understood sacrifice in times of war, but Harry knew sacrifice in all times.

Harry knelt down before Ginny, his glasses slightly askew. "Gin, are you alright? I know you're still mad and that we need to talk, but can we please go home and talk about this later? It won't take that long to capture Rookwood. Only two days for the transfer and then I'll be home."

Ginny almost smiled. Of course, two days sounded like nothing to Harry in the face of capturing a dangerous man. And Ginny had to admit that at one point she would have agreed. But that point had long since passed. It had passed when she realized that other people in Harry's department were capable of doing the jobs he did. It had passed when she realized that Harry's time as the chosen one should be over, and that now he was taking that responsibility as his own rather than just working with it. Now, those two days were just the push Ginny needed to break away.

"No, Harry," Ginny said calmly. She looked straight at Harry as she said it and was surprised when all of the fear left her. She had become certain at some point in this conversation, absolutely certain. And with this certainty she could deal with her family and with the public. She could deal with Harry's anger because she knew that this was right.

Harry looked puzzled as he reached forward and grabbed Ginny's hands. "You won't go home? But Ginny will it really make a difference staying here or being there? Even if you are still that mad, I won't be at the flat."

Ginny shook her head and pulled her hands out from his grip. "No Harry I meant no to everything. I won't go home and we won't talk about this."

Now Harry truly looked confused and Ginny felt awful that she wasn't explaining this correctly or even coherently. She hadn't expected to have it to deal with it all so fast.

Harry reached forward and grabbed Ginny's hand again, yanking her up. Ginny stumbled forward and the towel slipped a millimeter. She didn't notice as she watched Harry's anxious face.

"Alright, Ginny, you're still mad. I get it. But would you please go back home? I can rush the mission. Rookwood really won't be that hard to get. I can be home by tomorrow," Harry was practically bouncing on his feet now and Ginny wondered if he had already booked a portkey.

Again Ginny shook her head and withdrew her hand. The towel slipped a bit more, but she didn't feel it. "Harry it isn't about how long you'll be gone. You're not listening. You're leaving again, and I…"

"And you're angry, I know. But I need to go get Rookwood…"

"No you don't!" Ginny interrupted and now her temper was in her voice as she planted her hands on her hips and loosened the towel a bit more. "You don't have to go do it yourself. There are other people in your department who are perfectly capable Harry. You want to go get Rookwood. You want to be there, you don't have to be."

Irritation showed on Harry's face for the first time. "Ginny we've had this argument before and we can have it again. But I am leaving."

Ginny crossed her arms and the towel slipped to pool around her stomach. "Fine, you can leave again. But I am leaving too."

Harry gaped at her. "What?"

Ginny realized what she had just said and flinched slightly. But she quickly straightened. She may not have meant to say it so bluntly, but she had meant to say it eventually. "I'm leaving Harry," she said again, gentler this time. "I meant what I said about your job, and this time, I really am done. I can't do this anymore. I'm unhappy and it's making us fight all the time. You love your job too much to leave it, and I don't want to force you into it anymore. I'm done."

Harry blinked slowly in surprise. "You're leaving me? But Ginny what about what I said? What about waiting two more years, and then I mean it, we can get married. I'll even get you a ring now, if that's what you need."

Ginny hated the desperation she could hear creeping into Harry's voice, and she wished that they didn't have to do this now. But they did have to. If she didn't do it now, she might not ever do it. And if Harry left right after for an assignment, the distraction might be just what he needed.

"No, Harry, that's not it," she ran a hand through her own hair in irritation, realizing that it was a habit Draco had given her and one that Harry had also begun to copy. She dropped her hand. "It's actually been something I've been thinking about for a year now. I am never going to be happy with your job and you will never be happy without it. I don't want to force you into the married life I want. You should find a girl who is happy with the way you want to live your life, and I can't be that girl, Harry. Marriage won't solve our problems. We need to end this Harry before we hurt each other even more."

Silence echoed around the room for what felt like at least the tenth time that day, but Ginny was grateful for it. The silence meant that Harry was processing, and it also gave her time to adjust.

She had done it. She had finally said what had been weighing on her for a year. She had finally ended things. And she felt the sorrow of it, she felt that pain, but overwhelming that was something she had not expected: relief. She was relieved that she would not have deal with this pain anymore. She was relieved that finally the fighting would stop.

"Ginny," Harry stepped forward again and his hand automatically wrapped around one of Ginny's wrists. "I understand what you're saying this time. I get it. But I can't just leave with you here right now and without knowing if you'll be around when I get back," Harry looked truly worried and Ginny tried not to let it make her feel too guilty. "I need you to be back at the flat so that I know you will be there when I get back. I need you to be there so we can really talk about this. We need to talk about this at length. You can't just end it in five minutes."

Ginny wanted to groan in frustration. She had forgotten that Harry also had a stubborn streak. "Harry, no, I…"

But Harry was already pulling again on her wrist, trying to lead her out of the room. Ginny should have just allowed it. She should have gone back to the flat and then left again for the Burrow or somewhere else. She should have made it easier.

But Ginny's own stubborn streak would not allow it, and so she pulled back. The yanking motion caused the towel to slip, and with horror Ginny felt the material fall completely away. She yanked harder against Harry's hold and tried to slap a hand over the mark. But she knew Harry had already seen.

With a slight gasp, Harry dropped her wrist. He took a step back and Ginny watched with dread as his eyes widened and his face paled. He mouthed the name he had seen and Ginny felt her heart break a bit to see him repeating Draco to himself over and over again.

Harry raised his eyes to her face, and she flinched at the hurt she saw there.

"Ginny why is Draco Malfoy's name tattooed on your skin?"


	9. Chapter 9

(Author's Note: Alright next chapter. I really hate the way I had to write Harry in this chapter but it was the only way the story would work out. Please don't hate me, and I hope I stayed as close to the character as I could.)

"Ginny why is Draco Malfoy's name tattooed on your skin?"

Ginny could only stare at Harry as his face turned from pale white to flushed red. She tried to think of a way to explain, she did, but she was at a loss for words. She only watched as Harry's shock turned into anger.

"That's what it said right?" he demanded, taking another step back and folding his arms. "It said Draco as in Draco Malfoy?"

Ginny nodded silently, her body transferring to autopilot. She could only be honest now. No lie in the world would sound believable. She kept a firm hand over the mark, though, as if keeping it hidden now would help.

Harry's green eyes snapped with rage, but his voice was modulated. "So again, I ask, why do you have Draco Malfoy's name tattooed on your skin?"

Ginny opened her mouth but no words came out. She had none. No words existed to describe the events that had led her to this place. No words would heal the hurt she could see behind Harry's anger. No words she spoke could take back the one written on her skin.

Harry's eyes narrowed and she saw a flash of hurt before it was swallowed again in anger. "You've been sleeping with him."

Ginny didn't immediately deny it, but she did scramble for words. "Harry, it wasn't like that, not really…"

"So you haven't slept with him then?" Harry demanded. "Because that spot seems like a pretty personal spot for someone's name that you have just been going out with."

Ginny flushed but shook her head. "No, I mean yes I slept with him, but not while…"

"You slept with Draco Malfoy?" Ginny winced as Harry yelled. She had hardly ever heard Harry yell and she wished desperately that she had not caused him to now. She was not stupid enough to claim that she didn't deserve this because she did. She should have told Harry long ago about Draco. Not that it would ease the shock of the tattoo, but it might have eased the hurt Harry was clearly trying to hide.

Harry's hands were fisted at his sides and his face was screwed up in anger. Ginny took a small step toward him.

"Only when we were broken up!" she yelled back in desperation rather than anger. She just wanted Harry to hear her. "I slept with Draco when we weren't together!"

Harry's breathing was irregular as he glared at the tattoo hidden by her hand. "Which time?"

"What?"

Harry looked up at her and spoke slowly. "Which time did you sleep with Malfoy?"

Ginny winced. "I…"

Harry's eyes grew angry again. "It was every time wasn't it? You've been sneaking off to see Malfoy every time we've fought! How could you? How did this even start? I don't care how you angry you were, it's Malfoy Ginny! Malfoy! How could you sleep with him?"

"It was an accident! The first time we separated, I just ran into him at a bar. We were both drunk and to make it less awkward the next morning we went out a few times as friends, just friends," Ginny pleaded with her hands up. "I only slept with him that once the first time."

"And after that?" Harry demanded eyes focused solely on the tattoo.

Ginny sighed and fought back tears. "After that, it just became routine. It was easy. It was a way to deal with my anger and my pain. It was never another relationship, not like what you think."

Harry stared at Ginny and she didn't dare interrupt his silence. Her heart pounded and she wondered how she was going to fix this. She couldn't imagine a scenario in which she and Harry could remain friends after this betrayal.

"So why the tattoo?" Harry demanded suddenly.

"I got drunk again this last time, and I got it into my head to prove to Draco that I wasn't… that I wasn't going to go back to you," Ginny winced as she tried to keep as much hidden as she could. She didn't want to talk about her fight with Draco or his wishes. She didn't want to discuss the mess she had not even begun sorting yet. "I got the tattoo as proof."

"So you knew you weren't going to come back?"

Ginny quickly shook her head. "I was drunk Harry! I wasn't thinking straight. I only decided today that I wasn't going to come back."

Harry didn't look like he believed her. Ginny couldn't blame him. "So you're decision had nothing to do with Malfoy then? And you're going to get the tattoo removed right?"

Ginny winced at the clearly rhetorical questions. She wanted to answer, to argue with him, but it would do no good. Her decision had been influenced by Draco. She wasn't sure how she was going to get the tattoo removed or when. And it was suddenly clear that nothing she said would fix this. She could see that Harry had already formulated his own answers and ideas.

"That's what I thought," Harry snapped. His face was beat red and his eyes were a mix between hurt and anger. He looked angrier than Ginny had ever seen him. "You're leaving me for Malfoy!" Harry exploded and he advanced a step. Ginny took a quick step back.

"I… Harry it isn't exactly like that… Draco… he…" she stumbled over words as she watched Harry inflate with anger. For one wild moment she thought he was going to strike her.

But of course he didn't. Harry was not that kind of person.

Instead he turned on his heal and marched away, back rigid and fists clenched. Ginny didn't have the heart to go after him, and she could only watch as he walked out of the door and disappeared. Nothing she said would make a difference and Harry walked out of the door and out of her life.

Ginny slumped once again into the chair behind her, and this time she gave into the tears that wanted to fall. They ran down her face, but she did not sob. She was not brokenhearted this time, only deeply sad.

She had wanted to end things with Harry, but not like this. She had hoped, foolishly hoped, that she and Harry could remain friends. Her family was his family. She didn't want to ruin that for either of them or force her friends and brothers to take sides. But they would now. Harry would go tell Ron, probably before leaving, and then Ginny would have to face everyone. She put her face into her hands.

Footsteps echoed again on the concrete but Ginny did not look up. She knew it would not be Harry. The footsteps dissolved into two pairs of feet and then stopped. Ginny knew that Blaise and Luna were watching her and so she quickly dried her tears and looked up.

She saw Luna first, standing almost directly in front of her. Luna had a sad look on her face, but not nearly as sad as she had looked when Ginny had been sobbing at her feet after leaving Draco. Ginny knew that Luna had heard most of the argument then, and she also knew that she had been right to think that there had been nothing she could have done.

Ginny turned her gaze to Blaise and she was not surprised to see his face was blank. His eyes gave a bit more away, dark with what she would guess was irritation at Harry, but surprisingly kind when they met her eyes.

Ginny drew in a deep breath. She should say something. "Well that was awful."

Luna smiled slightly. "I should have put charms on the doors to keep Nargles out. They do so love to yank on clothing."

Ginny thought that the Nargles had very little to do with her towel slipping, but she smiled despite herself. She rubbed again, hastily at her face, scrubbing away the last of the tear residue. "Harry's never going to forgive me."

"Potter's an idiot," Blaise quipped. Luna shot him a disapproving glare but Ginny laughed.

"No, he has a temper and he is stubborn but he had every right to be mad at me. I should have told him about Draco a long time ago. I should have found a better way to break things off with him," Ginny sighed helplessly.

"I should have ignored the door," Luna offered half-heartedly. Again, Ginny laughed and even Blaise cracked a smile.

The three sat and stared hopelessly at each other, no one sure of where they should go from there. The memory of yelling was still fresh in the room, and Ginny had no idea what to say next. A sudden beeping interrupted the silence and all three frowned.

"That's the floo," Luna murmured. "Hold on…"

Blaise and Ginny watched as she quickly left the room, eyebrows creased in wonder. When she disappeared Ginny turned to look at Blaise only to see that he was already looking at her with a weird expression on his face. She raised an eyebrow in question and Blaise smiled slightly.

"I was not sure you would go through it," Blaise spoke slowly, measuring his words and Ginny recognized the expression on Blaise's face: it was approval. "You had just made your decision I know, but then when Potter arrived, I thought you would back out of it again. No offense," he added, "but from your history, I just thought you might talk yourself out of giving Draco a chance again."

Ginny shrugged her shoulders. "I wasn't very sure myself, but Harry made me sure. The way he spoke, his reactions, it just proved to me what I've known for awhile now. We wouldn't have been truly happy."

"Do you think you'll be happy with Draco?"

Ginny thought about it for a moment, really thought about it. She allowed herself to think of the memories and moments she so often buried: waking up beside Draco in his house, breakfast eaten across from him, teasing him until he was forced to distract her, and then the more sensual moments. She felt his hands glide over her body, his lips as they nibbled at her neck, his arms as they wrapped around her, his body as he settled against her.

All of those moments that had made her happier than she had been in a long time, and all of them with Draco Malfoy. Maybe they hadn't truly dated yet, and maybe the public and their families would overwhelm them, but for the first time, Ginny knew she wanted to try.

She smiled up at Blaise. "I might not be happy all of the time. In fact, I'm sure a majority of the time I'll be pissed. But I think I might be happier with him than I would be with anyone else."

Blaise gave Ginny a real smile then, all stretched lips and grinning teeth. Ginny laughed.

"Ginny," Luna's voice called from the doorway and both turned to look at her. Luna was also slightly smiling, no doubt at the moment she had just interrupted, but her blue eyes held hints of concern. "Your mother's on the floo."

Blaise's smile returned, but Ginny's heart dropped slightly. She heaved a sigh. "Of course she is," she muttered, standing up. "I'd best get this over with."

Blaise fell into step with her as she walked towards Luna and the floo call she really could have waited for. "At least it isn't your git of a brother Ron," Blaise mumbled so Luna wouldn't hear.

Ginny tried not to smile and failed. "Yes, well I'm sure he won't speak to me for a month at least. Longer actually when he finds out about the tattoo and Draco if Harry hasn't already told him."

"You're going to tell your family now?" Luna inquired as she also fell into step with them. "About Draco?"

Ginny shrugged, still feeling lighter than she had in ages despite the drama that was about to unfold. She could handle her mother and her brothers. She could handle the screaming and then the silence. She could handle it all, so long as she came clean.

"Yes," she answered. "It's about time I told the truth, and if I plan on being with Draco it's better they find out now."

"Oh dear," Luna murmured as Blaise grasped her small hand. "Ron won't speak to you for months."

Blaise laughed, a deep rumbling laugh, and pulled Luna in to kiss her firmly on the top of the head. Luna smiled up at her husband, and Ginny had hope. Perhaps, she and Draco could be like that one day.


	10. Chapter 10

(Author's Note: And we finally get back to Draco's POV.)

"Are you even listening?"

Draco snapped to attention and looked wide-eyed across the table, feigning innocence. Narcissa Malfoy sat regally with perfect posture and one coiffed eyebrow raised in amusement. She was clearly not buying Draco's act and with a sigh, he slumped down again.

"I'm sorry Mother," he mumbled sheepishly. The truth was that Draco normally enjoyed these weekly outings with his mother in Diagon Alley. He normally enjoyed his Sunday lunch with her and the time it allotted them together. But ever since last night Draco had been distracted.

Ginny had left him yesterday morning, again and for Potter, but it was not like it was anything new to Draco. Ginny had left him six times before that, and even the last time she had left him he had pulled himself together. Sure it had taken Blaise and copious amounts of alcohol (and then quite a few blondes) but Draco had pulled through. He had assumed that this time would be easier.

He had been wrong.

Draco couldn't put his finger on the feeling growing inside of his chest, could not put a name to it, but he hated it. It had suddenly arrived yesterday afternoon, hours after Blaise had left and hours after his morning of distraction with tattoo parlors. This feeling had just appeared while Draco had sat at his desk, drinking brandy and going over paperwork for the tattoo parlor he had bought (one which coincidentally a redhead woman had gotten a tattoo from the previous night). It had not been desperation; he had felt that before with Ginny and it involved more alcohol and desperate plans. It had not been longing; that was an empty hole in his chest that he could fill with distraction. It had not been lust; that he could combat with other women.

Instead it had been a mixture of all three emotions rolling around in his chest. He was desperate for Ginny, longed for her presence and her laugh and her smile while he lusted for her body. And Draco knew what it meant: he loved Ginny. He shuddered at putting the name love to the feeling but he was not a liar or a coward. He could face this love if he must.

That was what was distracting him as he sat at lunch with his mother as she discussed charities and get-togethers and her friends. The idea that he loved the youngest Weasley girl and had lost her again. He just couldn't seem to cope with it.

"Draco," his mother's impatient voice broke in once more and Draco wanted to groan in frustration. Ginny Weasley had been a bad idea, a temptation he could not control. When he thought of her she was all-encompassing, a black hole that sucked him away from himself and everything he had ever known. And he hated it all the more for how compelling it felt.

"What on Earth has gotten into you this morning?" Narcissa demanded crossly as her icy eyes scanned her son. He fidgeted as he fought against the feeling of being x-rayed. "You haven't listened to anything I've said, which is really not that surprising, but you've been moving around, shifting your weight, and you don't focus on anything around us either. You're eyes are unfocused and I can tell you are thinking. What are you thinking about?"

Draco kept his mouth closed as he thought about what he could possibly tell his mother. Saying that he was thinking of Ginny Weasley was out of the question. He had wanted to tell Narcissa about Ginny more than once, but he never could. It was not fear of her reaction that made him bite his tongue, but rather the knowledge that there was no point in talking about Ginny when she would never be a permanent part of his life.

She was fleeting, however much he wished otherwise. Draco sighed.

Narcissa cocked her head at the wistful exhalation and her sharp eyes noted the dark circles under her son's eyes. His hair was not perfectly done, his clothes not as pristine as they could have been. He was distracted and morose.

"You're in love," Narcissa dead-panned.

Draco jumped and nearly overturned the plate of food he had not touched. "What?"

Narcissa nodded to herself as if he had just confirmed everything. She sat back and tried to keep the smile off of her face but Draco saw it and he knew what his mother was thinking. She had worried before about him never marrying, when he had refused every girl he had ever shown interest in and then had gone about with several girls in a short period of time. This was probably exactly the justification she wanted.

"You're in love with someone, and it isn't going well," Narcissa continued, gazing serenely at Draco while he mastered a perfectly blank expression. "Either she does not want you back or you want her too much, but something is worrying you."

An ironic smile passed across Draco's mouth. "It's both actually. I want her too much and she does not want me."

Narcissa seemed surprised that Draco was so willingly admitting to this, and he supposed normally he would not. But it was not a normal day. He was in love with Ginny Weasley and he would never have her. Nothing was normal.

"And what are you doing about it?"

Draco thought about the question, not at all surprised his mother had asked it. Ever since she had been acquitted her attitude had changed. She was determined to be firmly in charge of every situation in her life now and expected Draco to do the same. Love would be no different.

"Nothing," Draco sighed. "There is nothing I can do, Mother. I asked her once to stay with me and try to date publically, but she left again. She's always leaving and I can't keep her. She fears her family and her friends, how they would react to us. And she fears me. I'm completely different from what she expected."

Narcissa's eyes narrowed slightly as she absorbed all of the information Draco had just laid at her feet. Draco could see her trying to puzzle out who it was, but he had been careful not to say anything too informative, like the fact that this woman also had had a boyfriend for quite some time.

"And I suppose that you never considered discussing this with her, offering support and aid, trying to make her feel more comfortable?"

Draco blinked slowly. "No."

Narcissa's mouth puckered and she quickly stood. Draco followed suit automatically, still stunned by the fervor of his mother's reaction. "Draco Malfoy, I swear it's like nothing I ever taught you about women stayed in that head of yours. Come on, we need to go to my house and discuss this more in depth. You need to tell me everything."

Narcissa began walking quickly away with her famous stride and Draco scurried after her. His mind was an empty canvas, devoid of any rational thought. He felt slight fear at admitting to wanting a Weasley. He felt a sense of despair at having to announce his failure at loud. But overriding it all was just a general blank screen. He was not prepared to react to this situation.

And apparently it was about to get worse.

Draco spotted the all-too-familiar wave of red hair just as his mother spoke, "Ah, well there's Ginny Weasley. She turned out pretty enough didn't she?" Narcissa looked vaguely amused. Ginny was walking along the sidewalk and Draco realized that her path was heading straight toward them. At that moment Ginny looked up and Draco's mother realized the same thing, "And now she has spotted us. Well, and we must say hi."

Draco could only stand in frozen shock and terror as his mother stepped forward and met Ginny halfway. Ginny looked completely terrified herself, Draco noted absently. She had indeed spotted them moments after they had spotted her, and Draco did not miss the hesitation she displayed while walking forward to greet them.

"Ginevra Weasley," Narcissa sounded perfectly polite and her smile was all gentle welcome. She gave Ginny an air kiss on one cheek and Ginny woodenly repeated the gesture. Draco realized with dark humor that this was probably the first time Ginny had ever spoken to his mother. Bloody perfect.

"Mrs. Malfoy," Ginny repeated in a quiet but polite voice. Her eyes then darted to Draco's face and he saw fear in their brown depths. "And D-Draco." Ginny flushed as she stuttered over his name and she was quick to look back at Narcissa. "What a surprise. I did not expect to run into anyone while shopping today.

Narcissa nodded. "Nor did we. Draco and I go out to lunch every Sunday."

Ginny nodded and Draco remembered that he had once told Ginny this. It had been in that three week time period he both loved and hated, when Ginny had been completely his. Ginny did not work, except for the occasional freelance piece for the Daily prophet or assisting one of her siblings in their line of work, so she had stayed at the manor. It had been the highlight of Draco's day everyday when he had come home to find her there, usually in the kitchen after cooking. Draco could not lie to himself. He had loved everything about those three weeks, from the fighting to the making up afterwards. He had wanted it to last forever. And so it had hurt like hell when it had all crashed down on him.

"That's wonderful," Ginny's voice was a bit stronger now and her eyes did not drift from Narcissa's face. "I should see my mother more often."

Narcissa smiled at this and some of the tension eased out of Ginny. Draco was still tightly coiled, but his heart was not pounding as it had been. He could see now that Ginny would not acknowledge him and he ignored the bitter anger that rose within him. It was as he should have expected all along, and he should be grateful. At least they would not fight here in public and with his mother as an on-looker. No, he and Ginny would part as they always had, with no words spoken between them and no acknowledgement of their relationship. He tried to convince himself it was for the best.

"And where is Mr. Potter?"Narcissa was all perfect innocence in her question and Draco winced all the more for it. Trust his mother to unintentionally make the situation as awkward as possible while trying to be polite. Damn manners. The idea of an easy if painful meeting was buried underneath this new turn in conversation.

Draco turned to glare at Ginny, unable to help it really, when he noticed her blush and shift her feet. Well, and she should be embarrassed. She should feel guilty about stringing him along. He felt embarrassed as his mother looked on in complete ignorance, and he felt impossibly angry at the short redhead who had caused him so much pain.

Draco tried to convince himself that this was what he really thought as he looked at her; he tried to ignore the pain he felt at her pain, tried to ignore the urge to hold her. It was preposterous to want to protect someone who constantly hurt him. It was pure idiocy to still want her. But he did and he began to fear that he always would.

"Oh, but that's terrible! Draco, isn't that awful?"Narcissa was looking at her son expectantly and Draco blinked slowly as he tried to figure out what Ginny had said. He looked to her, and then jumped when he saw the miserable expression on her face. She was biting her bottom lip and wringing her hands in front of her - signs of nervousness - but her eyes where what frightened Draco. He could clearly see the glimmer of tears about to fall in her brown eyes.

The rush of emotion was overwhelming. He wanted to demand who had made her cry. He wanted to hurt whoever caused her pain. And he wanted to yell at himself for feeling that way.

"I'm sorry," Draco cleared his throat with difficulty and dropped his eyes to the ground, unable to look at Ginny any longer. "I was thinking about something else and missed what you said."

"Draco!" Narcissa admonished. She dropped her voice to a whisper and spoke to Draco while shooting pitying looks at Ginny. "She and the Potter boy broke up."

Draco's heart stopped and silence rang in his ears. Slowly, he looked up again at Ginny and now her stance made more sense to his baffled mind.

She and Harry were over. Done. It was a sentence Draco had wanted to hear for over a year now, but one he had never expected. He was in shock, but he could feel it slipping in favor of other emotions.

Draco tried to tramp down the elation he felt building inside of his chest. He still had questions, so many questions. Were her tears out of sorrow? Was she upset at the break up? Had Potter broken up with her, or had she finally broken up with him? Did she want him back? Did she want Draco?

In the end, the answer to that last question would make all the difference, but Draco found himself unable to ask it. What if Potter had broken up with her? She could still love him, and the idea pained Draco immensely. He could never be with Ginny if Potter had broken up with her. It had to be her choice. She had to choose him, not just take him up as the second option.

Draco continued to stare at Ginny as his heartbeat increased and his palms began to sweat. He couldn't look away from her hopeful brown eyes as she looked expectantly back at him. She wanted to say something, he could see it in her eyes, but she was hesitant. Draco understood the feeling.

Finally, Ginny opened her mouth, but it was not her voice that rang out.

"Ginny! There you are." Draco turned to see Luna Zabini weaving her way through the crowd and heading straight for them.

With a rushing sound, all the noise came flooding back. Children screaming and laughing as parents pulled them from shop to shop. The murmur of multiple other conversations. Draco shook his head quickly, trying to dislodge the echo of their silent stare down. He shook out his hands which had fisted at his sides. He quickly glanced sideways at his mother, only to see her giving him a startled look back. He quickly looked away again and over to Luna.

Luna stopped in front of the group with a cheery smile. She was always smiling, and Draco wanted to hate her for it but could not. Despite his best efforts, he liked the loony girl, and he could tell that she knew it. It did not stop him from wanting to strangle her for interrupting though.

"Hello, Mrs. Malfoy, and Draco," Luna beamed at them, as if oblivious to situation. Draco knew she was not. Hell, she probably knew the most out of everybody with her blasted omniscience. He glanced again at Ginny but she was looking down, her red hair a curtain between them.

Narcissa responded as Draco turned away from Ginny. He was grateful for the hair that shielded her face. He did not want to see if she was relieved at her friend's interruption for surely if she did it would break his heart. He wanted to leave, to be able to think this through in silence and perhaps with the aid of alcohol. He wanted to still the uncomfortable squirming of his stomach. He wanted peace.

And he wanted Ginny.

"Well, Draco, we really must be getting back," Narcissa rested her hand on Draco's arm. She smiled at her son, but her eyes were still calculating. "Goodbye Mrs. Zabini and Ms. Weasley. It was lovely to see you both."

Draco allowed his mother to drag him away as he concentrated on not turning around. He would not look at her. Not yet. Not now.

"So are you going to tell me?" Narcissa's voice interrupted Draco again as she glided toward the Leaky Cauldron.

"Tell you what mother?"

"That you're in love with the Weasley girl."

Draco halted with a jerk and Narcissa sent him a dirty look as she was also jerked to a stop. He ignored the angry mutterings of the people behind him as he gazed at his mother with wide eyes. How on Earth did she know?

"Oh please, don't look so panicked Draco," Narcissa chided her son. "It was not that hard to figure out. Hadn't I just been saying you were acting odd? Hadn't I just been asking if you were with someone? Your reaction gave it all away, but really Draco why did you look so frightened? Aren't you happy that she and Mr. Potter broke up?"

"It isn't that simple," Draco choked out.

"Well, I assumed it couldn't be considering you're very much in love with a girl who was until recently in a committed relationship. I do not even want to know how you two managed to begin your own relationship. Your responses all make perfect sense now. Her family and friends indeed! How did you manage to fall in love with that girl and how did she manage to love you back? Please tell me you haven't been sneaking around with her."

Draco shook his head. "She and Potter have been on and off again for the past year. She wants him to leave his job. He won't. We were friends, somewhat, in my seventh year. I…it just happened." He ran an irritated hand through his hair. This was a conversation he had never expected to have. He had never thought so far ahead, had never really believed she would leave Potter.

Narcissa raised an elegant eyebrow and Draco knew that his mother had clearly filled in the gaps in his explanation. He had the grace to blush. It did look bad, sleeping with a woman who was in love with someone else, who to the public had been in a committed relationship for years.

"So are you going to go after her?"

Draco looked disbelievingly at his mother. Her face was calm, her hands clasped in front of her. "I… I can't."

Narcissa frowned. "Now don't give me that Draco Malfoy. You love her; I can see it so clearly in your face now. I'm willing to bet you even asked her to leave him. See there, you flinched. So why wouldn't you go after her now that she is single? Don't you want her still?"

"What if she didn't leave him? What if he left her?" Draco snapped his teeth together in irritation. Damn his mother. He wanted time to think about this alone. He didn't want to hash it all out on a dirty street in London.

"Draco Malfoy, you cannot be serious!" Narcissa looked shocked. "If Harry Potter left her then it was only because he found out about the two of you. And regardless, she wants you. That was as clear on her face as your love for her was on your face. I do not pretend to know the entire story, though I would guess that she has hurt you before. But I do know that whatever the past, she wants you now. Don't be a fool and let your pride rule you now Draco. If you love her, go after her."

With that Narcissa turned on her heel and walked away. Draco could only watch in open-mouthed surprise. His mother, his calm, elegant mother who was so concerned with public views, wanted him to go after Ginny Weasley. She had not even mentioned the Weasley name once, had not mentioned the family hatred or the difference in wealth. All fears that he had at one time or another thought about. She only cared if he loved Ginny.

Draco again ran a hand through his hair while his thoughts flew around in his head.

He needed to think. Hell, he needed a drink.

With one last look back at the now empty spot where he had run into Ginny, Draco apparated away.


	11. Chapter 11

(Author's Note: This is not the end. The end will be clearly marked. I swear the story's almost over and I will finish it tonight! I will! Enjoy.)

"Oh my god," Ginny said again for about the twentieth time since leaving Diagon Alley, though this time it came out a bit muffled seeing as she had her hands firmly covering her mouth.

"Yes, well it was very surprising," Luna agreed from her position holding tightly onto Ginny's elbow. Luna was half-assisting, half-dragging Ginny through London. They had been planning on apparating once they exited the Leaky Cauldron but Ginny had thrown up halfway there and apparating on a queasy stomach was never a good idea.

Yes Ginny Weasley semi-famous Gryffindor had actually thrown up from the fear and nerves that had shot through her at running into Draco and his mother. So much for courage. She liked to think that maybe, just maybe, if it had not been only a day after leaving Draco she could have reacted better, but she knew that was probably being overly optimistic. She doubted any amount of time could have made that situation better.

She groaned and closed her eyes, allowing Luna to guide her through the crowd.

"It wasn't that bad," Luna quipped from beside her, trying to be soothing. "Draco and his mother had already walked away, so I doubt they saw."

For some reason, that only made Ginny feel worse. She could just imagine Narcissa Malfoy's reaction at seeing Ginny throw up in public. Narcissa would have been horrified and Draco would probably have laughed.

"Merlin, why did I forget that Draco and his mother go to Diagon Alley every Sunday? Why did that slip my mind?" Ginny lamented.

Because of course the first time she went out after everything she would see not only Draco but his mother as well. She had never officially met Narcissa Malfoy before, and the woman lived up to her name. She had been regal and polite while appearing calm and also friendly. She would have been intimidating under normal circumstances, let alone those circumstances. And then for her to ask about Harry with Draco right there. Ginny wanted to hit her head against something.

"I'm so sorry Ginny," Luna mumbled. "Blaise was right; you should have stayed in today. I hate it when he's right."

Ginny shook her head. "It's not your fault Luna. I suppose it's just karma catching up to me right? I deserve some kind of punishment for hurting both Harry and Draco."

"But I talked you into going," Luna argued with wide blue eyes. "You wanted to avoid anywhere public since that journalist published the article. I'd still like to know what Ron was thinking, telling the Daily Prophet."

"We don't know it was Ron for sure." But the words sounded insincere even to Ginny's ears. Who else would have contacted the Daily Prophet last night to report that Ginny Weasley and Harry Potter had broken up? Who else would have neglected to add the bit about Draco Malfoy, except for someone who would be embarrassed by it? Ron was the perfect fit.

But still Ginny did not blame Luna for dragging her out of the house. She would need to face it all sooner or later. She would need to go to her flat and pack her things and face the mail she was sure to receive. She would need to face her entire family tomorrow night at the family dinner that Ginny knew was really a family meeting. She had told her mother everything, even about Draco and the tattoo and while her mother had not yelled, she knew that her family was far from accepting. At least she had faced Draco. Somewhat.

"And to think that you write articles for them!" Luna continued eyes flashing in anger. The poor girl was taking it harder than Ginny was. She saw it as a betrayal that the Prophet would print such trash. Ginny had felt the need to remind Luna that the Prophet had printed much worse in the past. "Good thing Blaise went to speak to your brother," Luna mumbled so quietly Ginny barely heard.

Ginny halted in their walk. "Blaise did what?"

Luna looked up with guilt all over her face. Her eyes were wide as she bit her lip.

"Luna Zabini," Ginny tried to sound stern as she stared at her friend. "Tell me what you just said and don't you dare blame Nargles for it!"

Luna looked down and scoffed the toe of shoe on the sidewalk. "Blaise didn't come with us today because he wanted to go talk to Ron. I thought you might try to stop him if you knew, but it's good that he's going. Ron deserves to know what an awful thing that was to do!" Luna said it all in a defiant rush, and Ginny could only think that she looked so innocent for someone so devious.

Ginny was caught between laughing and concern for her brother. "And what exactly is Blaise going to do to my brother?"

"Talk," Luna said quickly, too quickly. Ginny shot her a look. "Well, he might hex him, but only if Ron refuses to admit to it. Come on, Ginny, you know Blaise would never seriously hurt him. And Hermione can fix pretty much anything he does."

A slight smile stole across Ginny's face and she tried to fight it off. "And I suppose you'll fix anything she can't?"

Luna smiled brightly. "Of course."

Laughter fell from Ginny's mouth and she was unable to stop it. A rush of gratitude for her friend flowed through her. She pulled her best friend in for a close hug. "Oh, Luna, I love you."

Luna hugged her back firmly. "I love you too Ginny. And Blaise, he loves you too."

Ginny shook her head and released Luna. She began walking again, still linked at the elbow with Luna. "That husband of yours, I can't figure him out."

Luna glowed as she always did when someone brought up Blaise. "He's not really that hard to figure out, you know. He's very loyal. He'd do anything for his friends, and he really does love you too Ginny."

"Even with what I've done to Draco?" Ginny couldn't help but ask. Her heart fell as she thought of Draco. His face had been perfectly blank throughout her entire exchange with his mother. Even the news of her break up with Harry had only caused him to widen his eyes. He had said nothing, had only watched. Ginny had opened her mouth to say she knew not what when Luna had saved her. She was immensely grateful.

Luna tilted her head and considered the question. "I think he loves you because of what you've done to Draco." At Ginny's incredulous look, Luna rushed to explain. "Blaise and Draco were close before you came along, but Blaise was never sure that Draco was okay. You have to understand that the war affected Draco a lot more than anyone realized. He cut off his ties with the majority of his friends, because he had to but also because he wanted to. He dumped every girl he had ever been interested in." Ginny remembered that was why Pansy had been so furious when she found Ginny at the Manor. Draco had cut things off with her completely with very little warning.

"And," Luna continued. "Draco never really talked about how he felt or showed true emotions. He jumped from girl to girl, and Blaise was worried. But then you came along, and yes, you hurt Draco. But you also proved that Draco still had feelings. I won't say you brought Draco back to life, but you showed us another side to him, a side we hadn't seen in awhile. And you've always been a good friend to me, and nice to Blaise. Of course Blaise loves you."

Ginny considered Luna's words. She so often forgot that Draco had existed between their last year at Hogwarts and when she had run into him again. She would admit to not having paid him much attention, other than to note that he had been notoriously flighty with women and notoriously smart with his company. She had always assumed that Draco had coped like the rest of them, but she understood now why that would be impossible.

Draco's entire life had changed. He had decided to completely recant his ways, something very few former Death Eaters had done or had been able to do. Draco would have been in a very precarious position once he left school. She had noticed the lack of his former friends at school, but she had never thought about how lonely his life would be once he left. She had never thought about the fact that Draco never dated in his seventh year or spoke about dating anyone, ever.

She had simply just never thought about it.

Luna tugged lightly on Ginny's arm then, forcing her to focus back to the present time.

"Come on; let's go back to my house."

Ginny nodded, absently, her mind still on the lonely picture she had just painted of Draco. She barely remembered to picture Luna's house as they apparated and once they arrived she let herself drift again.

Draco must have been lonely when she ran into him again, which explained his willingness to become friends with her. It explained why he was always there when she needed him. It explained a lot about their relationship actually, like how she could stay at the Manor without fear of someone coming over, or how Draco could go out whenever she wanted. It also made her question something.

"Luna," she called as they made their way up to the front door.

Luna paused with her hand gripping the handle.

"Do you think Draco only loves me because he has so very few people in his life?"

"No."

The answer was instantaneous and Ginny's eyes widened in surprise. It was the logical jump her mind had made. Draco had to separate himself from his past and he had wanted to. But people still thought of it when they saw him. He was truly accepted by neither side. His father hated him and most people did not trust him. If she was the first girl who had really paid him attention, who had really known him, then of course he thought he loved her.

Luna sighed. "Ginny, Draco chooses to be lonely. He is a rich, young, and fairly attractive man. All of those girls who throw themselves at him aren't bimbos. And other men try to become his friends. Draco just doesn't let people in. But he let you in. Maybe he grew to love you so quickly because he has so few people, but he loves you because he loves you, not because he's lonely."

Ginny nodded slowly and Luna opened the front door.

They walked inside and Ginny thought about the past two days. She had broken up with Harry again, gotten incredibly drunk, had apparated around London, had gotten an incredibly stupid tattoo, had slept with Draco and then left him, had officially and finally left Harry for good, and then had run into Draco and his mother in public and had not had a chance to explain. She had learned that Draco truly loved her and that she loved him. She had learned that she wanted to try to date him. She had learned everything.

She ignore the fluttering in her stomach and the lightness of her heart. She tried to wipe the stupid grin from her face.

"Well, you two are home early," Blaise's voice came from the open doorway of Luna's work room and startled Ginny. Luna only smiled.

"Yes," Luna answered dancing up to Blaise and lightly kissing him on the mouth. "We ran into Draco and his mother and Ginny admitted to breaking up with Harry before throwing up."

Blaise raised an eyebrow and shot Ginny a look.

"Mrs. Malfoy asked about Harry and I, and Draco looked like he had been hit over the head with a brick when I said we were done," she explained. "I couldn't think of anything to say when Luna rescued me and they left. That's when I threw up."

"Ah," Blaise smiled down at Luna. "So I suppose I was right when I said she should stay in today?"

Luna stuck her tongue out at him. "And then how would you have snuck off?"

Blaise shot a panicked look at Ginny but she just folded her arms. "Ya, Luna told me about that. What exactly did you do to my brother?"

Blaise didn't even blink. "I hexed him a few times, but don't worry Hermione fixed him right up. She didn't even report me, said something along the lines of he deserved it for telling the reporter. Then she looked upset at herself for taking your side. I think she's a bit torn at the moment."

Ginny half-smiled. She could imagine Hermione struggling with this. She always wanted to be fair to everybody and so would probably be the only one willing to listen to Ginny's side of the story, but she was also extremely loyal to Harry. She would probably ignore Ginny for awhile, but Ginny thought no permanent damage had been done.

"Once Ron admitted to it, I stopped hexing him. Then I left." Blaise shrugged again. "Oh, actually I did ask Hermione about the tattoo. Don't worry I told her I had one I wanted to remove. I let her think it was in an embarrassing spot as well."

Luna let out a tinkling laugh and Ginny fought down her own giggle at Blaise's suggestive smile, surprised that he had thought to ask.

"She said to try green root? Green grass? Some kind of colorful plant."

Luna's eyes went distant and Ginny could tell she was doing mental potion gymnastics. "You said that wrong," she commented distantly and Blaise cracked a smile. Luna walked around him, still deep in thought, and entered her workroom. Blaise let her go.

"Sometimes I think she's far too smart for us," he commented drily.

Ginny could only nod in agreement as Blaise turned back around to face her.

"So tell me, Weasley, did you choke up because you didn't know what to say?" he asked calmly. "Or because you couldn't find the words?"

The difference was clear in what he was asking. Had Ginny backed out of her decision again or had she just simply frozen in surprise?

"I couldn't find the words," she admitted. "But I think I know what to say now."

Blaise smiled and nodded his head in approval. "About time your courage made an appearance."

Ginny stuck her tongue out at him.

"Ginny!" Luna's voice yelled from inside the room, and for a split second Ginny thought she was being reprimanded for mocking Blaise. But then Luna continued, "I think Hermione was right! This might remove your tattoo!"

Blaise looked back at Ginny. "Ready to go cleanse yourself?"

Ginny smiled. "I'm ready to go try something new."

They both walked into the workroom where Luna was hunched over a boiling cauldron.


	12. Chapter 12

(Author's note: And we are back in Draco's POV. Enjoy!)

Draco Malfoy stared moodily down into his cup of brandy, angry that so much liquid remained. He had come home and planned to get completely smashed. Anything to help take the anxiety away from him. But this was only his second glass and it was not even halfway empty.

He glanced up and thought seriously about throwing the entire glass into the fire for a moment before deciding that that would be among his worst decisions. And he was already dealing with the fallout from one of his bad decisions.

It had been a bad decision to become attached to Ginny Weasley. Sure, she said she cared about him, and sure, she and Potter were over with now (the Daily Prophet had confirmed it even), but Draco knew that it meant nothing to him. It changed nothing.

He had been home now for five hours. Five long hours of sitting here and fighting himself. He wanted to get smashed because he hated waiting for her. He was completely at Ginny's mercy at this moment, all bundled nerves and twisted emotions. He was a mess and he hated it. Getting drunk would save him from this embarrassing anxiety. He should get drunk.

But he couldn't.

Every time he reached for more alcohol or began to drink in earnest, his body stopped him. The damned traitor would pause in mid-movement and flash Draco memories of every moment he had been drunk with Ginny Weasley. It was not that she had ever said she minded him being drunk, and it was not that having sex with her while drunk was unpleasant. It was all Draco.

Draco didn't want to be drunk if Ginny showed up. He wanted to be sober and in possession of his thoughts. He wanted to remember everything they said and exactly the way she said it. He wanted to be able to tell if she was sincere or not. He wanted to remember exactly how it felt if she chose him and how it would feel to touch her when sober.

In short, he was being a sentimental fool.

And it was all proving pointless anyway. Draco had been home for five hours and Ginny had still not shown her face. Five long hours of waiting like an abandoned dog and hating himself for it the entire time.

Draco glared down at his glass and the traitorous hand that would still not let him drink. He was pathetic, a sentimental fool who was only setting himself up for more pain. Besides, who was to say that Ginny showing up at the Manor meant she wanted him. Knowing her and her bloody conscious, she would come regardless to try to explain herself to him. Draco could not imagine suffering soberly through explanations of why she couldn't be with him.

He needed to drink. His hand did not move.

Draco gave a frustrated yell, throwing his head back.

He was a damned fool. Ginny could very well show up and say that she was going back to Harry. The fact that the Daily Prophet had reported the break up for the first time could mean nothing. Perhaps some reporter just got lucky. The fact that Ginny had admitted it to Draco's mother could mean nothing. Maybe she was in denial again, but Harry had come around and set her straight. Maybe Ginny was outside his front door right now about to come crush Draco's hopes and dreams once again.

A loud crash startled Draco from his malevolent thoughts and he was shocked to find his hand empty. He glanced up to see glass shards at the foot of the wall nearest him, and a stain spreading downward that looked suspiciously like brandy.

"Fuck me," he muttered as he heaved himself out of the chair. The house elves were going to kill him. They were going to kill him and then lie to his mother and say he offed himself. And she would probably believe it if Harry and Ginny got back together. His mother believed in that sentimental nonsense of love conquering all and meaning everything to someone, despite her own marriage.

"Was that an invitation?" a voice spoke from the doorway and Draco stopped halfway to the wall.

His heart began to pound and he again counted back how many drinks he had. No, only the two, well one and a half. He had not drunk enough to be hallucinating. He couldn't be imagining this unless he truly had gone crazy. Perhaps his mother was right and love was powerful enough to make or break people.

"Draco?" the voice called again, clearer this time and with just the amount of hesitation he knew she would have.

Draco stiffened his shoulders and turned around slowly, completely prepared to be disappointed.

He was not.

Ginny Weasley stood in the doorway, wringing her hands as he knew she would. Her eyes darted to his face and she made to look away before forcing herself to look forward. He could see the internal struggle going on within her. Wanting to look away, but refusing to let her courage abate. She was being a Gryffindor, all false bravado and stubbornness.

Draco cleared his throat. He wanted to look away, but the stubbornness he had just accused Ginny of also made an appearance within him. He would not look away. And so he studied her.

She looked the same as the last time he had seen her, though it had not been in this room. Her long red hair – hair that Draco loved despite himself – hung straight and halfway down her back. He knew how thick that hair was and how soft and what it felt like to run his hands through it. Her pale skin was slightly flushed with nerves, but he knew how it looked when it was flushed with excitement and arousal. Her brown eyes were dark with anxiety but it was almost too easy to see them snapping with enjoyment or even anger. She was biting her lip as she always did when he stared at her for too long but he knew of other things that could make her bite her lip.

She looked beautiful.

Her eyes shifted past his head then, leaving his face for the first time. He watched as she focused on the wall directly behind him and then frowned slightly. "Draco is that a glass? Did you throw a glass of brandy at the wall?"

"Yes," Draco's voice came out completely calm and steady and it was a lie. His heart was hammering, his palms sweaty, and his legs wanted to tremble. His mind was whirling and his breathing was becoming erratic. He was a nervous wreck. "I've broken sixteen glasses actually," he continued, "since you left."

He watched Ginny flinch at the reference as he knew she would. Ginny Weasley, always so predictable. He knew her too well. She always felt guilty about leaving him, always had ever since the first time she had come back to him. But she was always ready to defend herself before, ready to defend her actions. Would she be this time? Would she dare defend her choice of Potter again? If she did, Draco could not have her.

"You were that angry?" she asked and took a hesitant step forward.

Draco blinked once in relief. She had not defended herself or Potter. But did that really mean anything? Why was she here?

"I was beyond angry, Ginevra," he said slowly, deliberately. He could hear the tightly controlled anger under his voice and knew she could too. "I was livid."

Ginny stepped forward again as if drawn there, and Draco noticed for the first time that she was wearing a simple dress. But it was not the dress that shocked him, though he had never seen Ginny wear a dress and it was quite a dress, all short lengths and plunging necklines and gliding material. It was the color of the dress that made him catch his breath. Dark forest green.

"I never knew you cared so much," Ginny whispered and Draco forced his eyes away from the temptation of watching that dress move over her curves. He ignored the arousal growing within him and cursed that dress to hell and back.

"Then you are an idiot," he snapped, his voice scratchy. He almost regretted the words, knowing that they would undoubtedly get Ginny up in arms, but he was also angry. How dare she come here wearing a dress like that? Did she hope to distract him into sleeping with her without talking about any of it? Could he resist?

Ginny surprised him again when she did not immediately snap back at him. He tore his eyes away from her body again and focused on her face. She was calm.

"I have been an idiot," she whispered, looking down, and Draco watched as the fire glinted off of her copper eyelashes. They were long enough to cast shadows over her cheekbones. Draco wanted to growl in frustration. She was so damn attractive.

"I have been an idiot and cruel and selfish," she continued and she took a step forward with every word she spoke. Draco swallowed loudly. This was the Ginny he had truly fallen in love with. The brutally honest Ginny who would hide nothing and pretend nothing. She was alluring and sexy and impossible to resist. And he was in trouble.

"And I am sorry," she finished, stopping two feet in front of him and moving no further.

Draco commanded his eyes to stay trained on her face. He would not give into temptation first, not this time. He needed answers, all of the answers to every question he had ever asked. He needed to know that if he stepped forward again this time she would not step back. He needed to know that she truly wanted him and wanted to try.

"Sorry doesn't fix anything, Ginny," Draco spoke clearly, making sure to keep the desire out of his voice. He doubted he could hide the heat in his eyes, but he would be damned if he let it show in his voice. "It's just a word and a meaningless one coming from your mouth."

Ginny flinched again slightly but she took the barb with grace. Draco was impressed, but he was not distracted by her lack of her temper. It could all be a game, part of her plan. Ginny was no fool and she knew him better than anyone, even if she did not realize it.

"I can never believe you when you say sorry," Draco continued, folding his arms. "And I can never believe you when you say that you and Harry are over, not even when you admit it in front of my mother."

Ginny nodded. "Have you seen the Prophet?"

"Yes, should that make a difference?"

"I had hoped it might," Ginny offered him a small smile but it quickly fell when Draco didn't return it. "Draco, Harry and I are over, for good this time. I will not go back to him again. He chose his job and now I'm choosing something else. I'm choosing you."

Draco refused to let himself react to those words. They were words he had wanted to hear for months now, but he couldn't trust them. Ginny would never lie, but she was flighty. She could choose him today but leave him tomorrow. Why should her saying those words out loud change anything?

"And what about tomorrow when you wake up naked in my bed?" Draco asked. "What about tomorrow when you remember your family and your friends and the entire wizarding world? What about when you remember all the reasons you've ever given me for leaving? What about then?"

Ginny had flushed at the world naked and shifted. Draco was startled to realize that she was just as aroused as he was. He recognized the body language now, the twitching hands and shifting feet. She wanted him physically at least.

He was snapped out of that train of thought though when she spoke again. "The wizarding world can go screw itself," Ginny lifted her chin confidently as she said it and Draco did not see even a flicker of hesitation in her eyes. "My friends, if they are my real friends, will have to accept it."

"And your family?" Draco interrupted, knowing that her family was quite possibly the most important thing to her. It would always be the deciding factor in her arguments. And her family would never agree to him.

"My family already knows."

The words hung between them and Draco's breath hitched and then halted and then sped up. Her family knew about him. She had told her family that she had been seeing Draco Malfoy. His head spun. She wouldn't have. She couldn't have. Ginny had always feared her family's reactions. They were the people she could never face or disappoint.

"You couldn't have," Draco choked over the words as he shook his head.

Ginny smiled. "No, I couldn't have if I hadn't been forced into it. But when Harry found out about us, he went and told Ron who told my mother. She floo'd me and demanded answers, which I had to give her. I would be amazed if she hasn't told the rest of my brothers by now."

"You told Potter about us?" Draco gasped.

Ginny shook her head again. "I didn't mean to and I didn't want to, at least not yet. But he found out anyways. It wasn't pretty and I doubt he will ever speak to me again. But what's done is done. They know, Draco. They all know."

Draco shook his head to dispel the images there. Picturing Ginny telling Harry about him, picturing her with her mother explaining it. He narrowed his eyes as he thought about what she said. Harry had found out. "He saw your tattoo."

Ginny nodded. "I had been swimming at Luna's while she worked on a potion. Harry surprised us. He saw it and I explained it. I explained everything."

Draco shook his head again. "That's not good enough." He glared up at Ginny. "You were forced into telling Potter about us and you were forced into telling your family. Harry probably left you when he found out. It isn't good enough if you're only choosing me because you lost him."

"No, Draco," Ginny stepped forward with one hand outstretched but Draco avoided it. She let it drop but her eyes sought his face desperately. "Harry tried to get me to say it was a onetime thing. He tried to give me a way out. He would have forgiven me for that, for a drunken mistake. But I told him that it had been every time. I told him that it had been more than just a one night stand. That it meant more to me."

Draco fought with himself. She had told Harry the truth instead of taking the easy way out. She had told him that Draco was more than a one night stand. But did that make up for it? Or was she still only choosing him because he was what was left?

"But Harry left you!" he yelled, running an irate hand through his blonde hair and yanking on it. It fell into his eyes as he stared at Ginny. "I can't be with you if Harry left you. I can't."

"I left him!" Ginny sounded anguished. "I left Harry! I said that I wanted it to be over before he even saw the tattoo. I told him that I was done. When he found out, I just restated it and then he left. But I told him that I wanted out, Draco. I chose you over him. I did!"

Draco wanted to clamp his hands over his ears. His head hurt and his heart hurt and it hurt to breathe. His mind spun with the impossibility of it. He couldn't figure out if it counted. Did Ginny leave Harry or had he still left her? Whose choice had it been?

Draco couldn't answer the question, and with that, he knew he could never be happy with Ginny.

"I can't be with you if it was his choice," he whispered, eyes staring blankly at Ginny as the dark realization took hold. "Do you understand? I could never be happy. I would never trust you not to leave me again. I refuse to live with that fear. I refuse to be hurt again. I can't be with you."

Tears filled Ginny's eyes but she refused to let them fall. They stood in silence staring at each other and Draco wondered if she felt even half the pain he felt. He was in agony. How was it that he could get Ginny but not get her at the same time? How was that fair? Was she his punishment for the mistakes of his past? To be so close to everything he had never wanted but suddenly needed only to lose it again was more than a punishment. It was torture.

"Is there nothing that can convince you?" Ginny demanded, wiping angrily at her eyes. "No matter what I say or what proof I give you? Will you never believe me?"

Draco slowly shook his head. "You could bring your entire family over here. You could announce it in the Daily Prophet. But I wouldn't be able to be with you. I believe that you want me now, but I will never be able to convince myself that you won't leave again. If Harry walked away then he decided this, not you. And if he comes back, I can't trust you to not go back to him again."

Draco knew he was being foolish and stuffy. He knew he was being a prick about this. But he couldn't help it. He knew himself and he knew that it would never work unless she had chosen him and had something to show for it. His mind would need the proof to quiet the fears; his heart would need the evidence to keep from breaking. It may not mean much considering that every other time Ginny had left Harry and gone back. But it made all the difference this time.

Ginny drew in a shuddering breath that almost turned into a sob before she managed to clamp her mouth shut. Draco ached for the pain he saw on her face. But he could not doubt himself in this. Ginny could hate him for the rest of her life, but she had not been here before when she left. She did not see the agony Draco had gone through every time she had left him, not just the last time. The agony that Draco had hidden even from Blaise. He had loved Ginny since the first time he had slept with her, but he would no longer let her break his heart.

"I'm sorry," he whispered and then he turned away and walked to the wall to pick up the shards of glass. He needed her to leave but he could not watch her go. Not this time, not if he wanted to keep his sanity.

He listened for her footsteps and he heard them after a moment, but they were moving in the wrong direction.

Draco whirled around and stood up only to see that Ginny was again two feet in front of him and this time she looked determined. There were fresh tear tracks down her face, but her eyes were blazing in stubborn determination.

"What if I had proof?" she demanded. Her fists were clenched at her sides and her arms were shaking but she looked at him steadily. "What if I had a way to prove to you that I had chosen you and would not leave again?"

Draco gulped but shook his head. "There's nothing that could do that. There's nothing…"

Ginny ignored him and reached up to the shoulder straps of her dress. Draco was confused until he watched her slide them down. He was in front of her and grasping the material before he knew what happened. His breathing was heavy as he stared down at Ginny's wide eyes.

"No," his voice came out rough and he cleared his throat. "Sleeping with me won't prove anything Ginny, and I…" his voice broke but Draco plowed on "I won't be able to stop or heal or move on if I sleep with you again, Ginny. It will only hurt more."

Ginny's lower lip trembled and her wide brown eyes swirled with a million emotions. Draco closed his eyes so he wouldn't have to look. So much pain, there was so much pain between them now. Draco couldn't bear it.

Draco didn't see as Ginny stepped back, but he felt it when her thin shoulders disappeared from under his hands. His eyes popped open in time to see the green dress slither to the floor and the pale creaminess of Ginny's naked legs. He slammed his eyes shut again.

"Ginny…"

"No, Draco," Ginny grabbed Draco's hand and tugged him forward. "Look, please, I swear this isn't what you think. But I need you to look."

Draco's heart pounded and he tried to talk himself out of it. If he looked at Ginny, clad in only lingerie as he had glimpsed before he closed his eyes, then he would not stop. He would sleep with her again and then it would all be that much worse. But his eyes were not listening to his mind, and slowly, they opened.

Ginny stood in front of him in a simple black bra and panty ensemble that still managed to make Draco's blood thrum and his pants tighten. She was luminescent with her pale skin and dark hair. She was enchanting and enthralling and he needed her.

"Draco," Ginny called again, and Draco's eyes snapped up to Ginny's face only to see that her eyes were also dark with desire and need. But she moved her hand and pointed downward. "Look."

Draco followed the curve of her arm past her elbow and to her wrist. And then he stopped breathing.

Ginny was pointing at the pale expanse of skin between her hip and her center. But it was not the pale perfection Draco had expected. Emblazoned in dark black ink and a cursive script, Draco could read his name clearly.

His eyes snapped up to stare at Ginny in wonder. "You kept it?"

Ginny nodded slowly as she blushed. "I kept it."

Draco swallowed and winced at his dry throat. He couldn't stop his eyes from drifting again to the mark, remembering how much it had pleased him the first time he had seen it, how much it had meant to know that she had marked herself as his even if she was drunk. But he needed to focus. "Could Luna not find a way to remove it?"

He looked up to see Ginny shake her head. "Luna found a potion that removed it, or at least it was supposed to, but I wouldn't let her try. I made her throw it out and swear to never let me use it."

"Why?" Draco's voice was a croak.

Ginny slowly stepped forward and place her hands against Draco's chest. Her fingers began playing with his collar and she gazed at the buttons on his shirt. "Because I wanted to keep it," she murmured and then she dared to look up at him quickly. Draco was speechless and Ginny quickly looked down again. "I wanted to keep it because I needed it to convince myself to try. I needed something to drive me over here so that I wouldn't back out. I needed something to hold on to, to convince myself that you did love me and that you would not just laugh at me. I needed proof." Her lips twisted at the last sentence and Draco also almost smiled. But he was too busy frowning.

With one deft finger, Draco reached under Ginny's delicate chin and then lifted her face so he could look into her eyes. "You thought that I would laugh at you? You thought that I did not love you?"

Ginny cast her eyes downward and continued to play with Draco's shirt collar. "I never really believed you loved me, you know. It was just too hard to believe. Why would you love me when I kept leaving? Why would you love me after so short a time together? I kept trying to convince myself that what I felt for you wasn't love either, that it couldn't be. Love was supposed to be different than what we had. But accepting that I loved you was easier than accepting that you loved me."

"Ginny…" Draco's voice sounded helpless and his mind scrambled for a way to prove to this girl just how much he loved her. He wanted to tell her that he understood doubting what he felt; that he had also thought love would be different. But he wanted her to know that he did love her, with all of himself.

Ginny shot him a look that silenced him though. She looked amused. "But then, when I had finally admitted out loud that I loved you, Blaise and Luna made me realize something. They made me realize that you loved me too. Or that you at least were serious about wanting to try dating. They made me realize that I wanted to try, that I needed to try. I would never have been happy without you now, Draco. Not after all of this. So do you…" Ginny's voice broke and she coughed. "Do you want to try?"

Draco looked away from her hopeful brown eyes and down between their bodies to the tattoo. Slowly, he let his fingers trace over his own name. He heard Ginny's intake of breath and he smirked slightly. He watched as goose bumps arose on her skin and his own arousal grew at the visceral response. Finally, he looked back up at her.

"I don't just want to try," his voice came out deep, predatory, and Ginny's eyes dilated. Draco fought the urge to kiss her right then and there, knowing that he needed to say something and say it now. "I want you to stay with me always. I want you to move in. I want to go with you when you face your family. I want to beat Potter to a pulp if he ever comes near you again. I want you Ginevra Weasley, and I think that I will always want you."

Draco leaned down so that his lips brushed against her's as he spoke his next words, "I want to try and I want to succeed because I love you Ginny."

Ginny gasped and then she was the one pulling him forward hastily by his shirt collar. Draco laughed as her mouth slammed into his but that laugh quickly turned into a groan of pleasure as Ginny kissed him wildly. He pulled her tight against him, desperate to touch her, all of her. He needed Ginny more than he had ever needed anyone and with every touch of their lips that need just grew.

It was the fire Draco only felt with Ginny. It was thoughtless heat and passion and two bodies meeting together. It was Ginny, all of her, surrounding him and drowning him, but he wanted it. He needed it.

Ginny pulled away finally and they both sucked in deep breaths of air. They stared at each other in silence and Draco took in her gleaming eyes and reddened lips and flushed face. He moved his hands up from her lower back to her face, gliding his thumbs over her cheekbones. Ginny's eyes fluttered closed as he tucked her hair behind her ears and then traced the familiar features of her face.

It wasn't until Draco traced her lips that Ginny spoke again. She opened her eyes and stared right at him. "I love you Draco Malfoy."

Draco froze for one infinite moment as he gazed down at the redheaded woman who had barreled into his life with a potions question. His heart pounded and his blood hummed and his breath shortened as he gazed at the woman that he loved, the woman that miraculously loved him back. And suddenly all the months of waiting and pain were worth it. All of the fights and yelling and remarks were worth it. All of the tears and anger and agony were worth it.

Draco smiled suddenly and rested his forehead against Ginny's, breathing in her air. He had never been happier than in this moment, he thought. Though he would probably be happier in the next. Draco smirked as Ginny's eyes darkened again, as if she could read his thoughts and knew the direction they had taken. He let his eyes travel down to the mark on Ginny's skin, the spot where she now bore his name and would forever more. The spot that had decided this fate for them, the ending that Draco desperately wanted and the one that Ginny now wanted as well. The spot that represented the love they had just found for each other. The spot that caused Draco to lose his mind.

Draco leaned down suddenly and captured Ginny's lips in a kiss again. He felt her fingers flying over the buttons on his shirt as he picked her up and her legs straddled him. Draco smiled as he walked them both over to the couch, his heart filled with love, and his body filled with desire.

And he thought that he had never been so grateful to a little spot of ink.

(Author's Note: Surprise! This is the end. Well at least for now. Before you get your hopes up though, I don't mean that I am going to add more chapters detailing what happens next. I meant that I might write some extra scenes that were mentioned but that I didn't fully write out. Scenes like the night between Ginny and Draco that started this story. Or even their first night together. I haven't decided exactly what yet, or if this will even happen, and if it does it won't be done until next week because I will be gone. But just keep that in mind. For now, I will just say that my story is complete and will be updated to complete and that I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I loved writing it. Obviously the characters aren't mine but JK Rowling's though the plot and etc. are my creation. Thank you for reading!)


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